Like Day and Night
by The Source Behind the Shadow
Summary: She's out on a mission to spy on the Akatsuki. He's IN the Akatsuki. She's fiercely loyal to all of her friends. He could care less. She despises the slaughtering of innocent lives. Again, he could care less. She's unsure about what path to take that will decide her fate. And it's all his fault. They're polar opposites...like day and night. But can she change him?
1. I Believe In You

**Disclaimer**: Sadly I do not and will never own Naruto x)

Please review :) After all, why would I continue this if no one reads it? :) Maybe just a favorite? It would mean the world to me~

Oh and I probably won't be finishing "Something More Than Rivalry", mostly because I have no desire xD Also because I got a horrible writer's block on that one and I just can't bring myself to write another chapter. Sorry to anyone who wanted me to finish it :( !

Anyways, here's chapter one~

Chapter One: I Believe In You

"Are you sure you want to go through with this mission?" The Hokage prodded, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course!" I practically shouted at the woman.

How else could I earn the village's respect? How else could I prove to them that I'm worth something, that I'd put my life on the line for this village without hesitation?

There was no other way. I had to go through with this.

Tsunade sighed.

"Right. Keep in mind that this is an S-ranked mission. If they discover your true identity, then you'll most likely die."

My beloved Hokage was right. Even the thought of an attempt at weaving myself in amongst the most notorious criminal organization, let alone succeeding, seemed nearly impossible.

But I was determined this time.

"I don't care! I'll take the mission- backup or not!" I exclaimed, my hand slapping down on the desk.

"Alright, apparently I can't convince you to reconsider. This is a major risk- not just for you, but for the whole village. If the Akatsuki discover that we're sending spies, then they're sure to send out a few of their members to obliterate this village," Lady Tsunade sighed, her fingers laced together in front of her. "I'm well aware that you're a Chuunin and it would make more sense to send a Jounin, but due to our lack of available ninja we have no choice but to send you- which is not a problem given your unique gift of deception."

I smiled at Lady Tsunade. No doubt that this mission was going to be difficult, but as long as the Hokage was willing to believe in me, I was beginning to feel at least a tad bit at ease.

"I won't let you down!" I exclaimed, excitement drowning my anxiety.

"I know you won't." The Hokage answered, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of her lips. It quickly faded when she pulled out a small manilla folder and slid it across the desk.

"This folder contains all of the details of your mission. The requirements...everything. I need you to read over them carefully and follow every precise detail. Am I clear?"

"Crystal." I breathed, staring at the manila folder that I held between shaky hands.

"Nervous?" There was a playful tone to Tsunade's voice, but I could see it in her eyes that she was definitely anxious about what was to become of me.

"Nervous? Yeah right!" I scoffed, lifting my chin up just a bit. "I'll be back in no time with all the information you need on that freak show!"

She gave a tiny laugh. "Read over the mission details CAREFULLY. I cannot stress that enough. I know how you tend to forget things but-" she paused when I muttered a few protests under my breath, "...You can't slip up, not even on one minuscule detail in this mission. It could cost you your life."

"Right." I nodded, determination apparent in my voice. I will NOT let my village, comrades, and Hokage down. I will succeed.

"You leave tomorrow morning. Dismissed."

I gave my Hokage a respectful nod and turned to leave.

"Haruka?" I heard Tsunade whisper, her voice portraying her anxiety. I turned slightly to look at her. "I believe in you."

"Thank you Lady Tsunade," I replied, my voice shaking as her words sunk in. "I won't let you down."

With one final look at the blonde haired Hokage, who had turned curtly to stare out the window overlooking the Village Hidden in the Leaves, her hair in pig tails that fell on her back and her desk piled with unfinished paperwork, I whirled around swiftly on my heel and ran towards my apartment, eager to scan the mission requirements.

As I sprinted towards the door leading out of the Hokage building, I felt a twinge if sadness begin to well up inside of me. I quickly pushed it aside. I would see all my comrades again- no doubt. After all, I told Lady Tsunade that I wouldn't let her down. I intend to keep my word.

I darted out of the Hokage building and out into the fresh air as the sun was setting. You couldn't beat the freshness of autumns in Konoha.

I raced through the streets of my beloved village in the direction of my apartment, greeting people with occasional hello's and friendly nods.

I'm pretty well known throughout the village, mostly because of the trouble I get myself into with...

"Hey, Haruka! Wait up!"

...Naruto.

"Hey Naruto!" I greeted him as he attacked me a tremendous bear hug.

"Alright... N-Naruto...Can't...Breathe..." I managed to gasp, my eyes most likely popping out of my head.

"Sorry!" He said, releasing me. I dropped onto my feet, wobbling as I attempted to regain my balance.

"I thought you were supposed to be on a mission with Sakura and Sai?" I asked, remembering how he had told me about the special mission he was assigned to complete, involving escorting a futile lord to another land. A mission in which HE was the squad leader.

"We're not leaving for another few minutes, so I thought I'd say goodbye." Naruto replied, beaming.

"Right," I said. "Well you better go meet Sakura and Sai, they're probably wondering where you're at."

"You're right," Naruto sighed, "I'll see you in a few days! And then we'll get some ramen at Ichiraku's! Believe it!" He called over his shoulder after he had given me another hug.

I shook my head and watched the familiar orange and black jumpsuit and blonde hair disappear into the setting sun. That Naruto and his ramen obsession, though I had gotten used to it by now. After all, he _is_ my best friend.

I had resolved to not mention my current mission to Naruto, for he'd definitely attempt to keep me from fulfilling it, knowing firsthand the full extent of Akatsuki power. After all, he had gone head to head with one himself.

I sighed as I watched him disappear from view, feeling a pang of guilt for not telling him. I pushed this aside too. I have to succeed in this mission. Who knows, maybe if I can gain enough intelligence on their organization, then we may eventually figure out how to defeat them.

With the idea of a successful mission playing on repeat in my mind, I began to race even faster towards my apartment.

After hopping the familiar rooftops, I finally reached my apartment. I unlocked the door to find it exactly as I had left it: bed unmade and clothes cluttered all over the floor. I sighed inwardly, regretting my laziness towards these sorts of tasks.

I fought my way through the notorious clutter of clothing strung out around the floor, plopping myself down on my messy bedspread. I reluctantly began to peel open the manilla folder, the sudden wave of anxiety excruciating.

I yanked out the mission papers and began to read with extreme intensity and concentration:

"_Mission:  
_

_Locate the Akatsuki's current hideout. Mark it on the map. Attempt to join their ranks as a missing-nin, and when enough intelligence on the members and the organization is gathered, then return to Lady Tsunade at once. Deception is required in this mission, for the Akatsuki cannot decipher who you are at all costs._

Rank of mission: S+

Time of departure: October 24 at precisely 8 A.M."

There was also a map included in the manila folder that displayed the location of the previous Akatsuki hideout. Apparently it's close to the Village Hidden in the Sand, a few hours travel away from the village. It's also a cave of sorts.

So it's my job to locate the current Akatsuki hideout and mark it on the map? Simple enough. The difficult part is gonna be weaving myself among supposedly the most dangerous criminals in the ninja world. The Hokage must really have some faith in me.

I sighed loudly, falling back onto my pillow while pushing a lock of light auburn hair from my dark blue eyes. I was starting to allow my anxiety to take hold on my conscious, and really, how could I stop the flood of it anyway? With all of the doubts swimming around in my head, it was becoming increasingly difficult to control my anxiety.

What if they caught me?

What if they torture me and then attempt to destroy Konoha?

No. I won't let them catch me. After all, my deceptive skill level is quite high for a Chuunin.

Suddenly I heard a tap on my window. My head practically hit the ceiling of my apartment as I was yanked out of my thoughts (or rather, worries). My head snapped to the left to look out of my window as I sat upright with my legs crossed.

"Tenzou-sensei!" I practically shouted, opening the window.

Tenzou, a member of the ANBU, my sensei, AND a huge help to Kakashi in the difficult task of training an always- impatient Naruto, smiled at me from outside the window.

"Why is it that the ANBU can't just knock on the DOOR like a normal person would do? Isn't it a little creeperish to always use the window?" I demanded, rolling my eyes.

"The window's more convenient," Tenzou replied, suddenly grinning proudly, "And the reason I've dropped by was because I heard that a certain student of mine was assigned an S-rank mission. Can you confirm that theory for me?" The last sentence was exaggerated by an eye roll. Obviously rumors were flying around.

"Of course!" I exclaimed, smiling brightly at my sensei.

"I'm not surprised at all." Tenzou replied after a few minutes of contemplating.

"How come? I'm only a Chuunin." I asked him, my brain desperately attempting to grasp the part of how I'm suddenly such an important Chuunin. I know I've always been somewhat significant, but I'd never dreamed of being sent on an S- ranked mission ALONE, especially when dealing with the AKATSUKI.

"I've been hearing rumors that Lady Tsunade is going to promote you to Jounin level very soon." Tenzou said rather smugly, probably trying to crush my insecurity in my true skill level.

"Damn, you really keep in touch with your gossip, don't ya old man?" I teased, reaching over and elbowing my sensei in the stomach. "No way! Your gossip is most likely a lie." I stated in a matter of fact way.

"Huh, oh really?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Like the gossip about you being assigned an S-ranked mission was fake?"

He got me there. I slouched, crossed my arms over my chest, and let out a defeated 'humph'. Tenzou smiled smugly.

"Has anyone told you what I'm supposed to do?" I asked out of curiosity. I vaguely wondered if my own sensei would attempt to hold me back from the mission.

"No, actually," he answered thoughtfully, "What have you been assigned to do?"

"Disguise myself as a rogue ninja and become one of the Akatsuki..." I cut off, sparing a nervous glance at my sensei, "Plus I'm supposed to mark their current location on this map-" I handed him the map, which he swiftly snatched while harboring a look of intense concentration, "-and when I gather enough information about their whereabouts, operations, and anything that might help us form a plan to defeat them, I'm supposed to get the hell outta there and report back to Lady Tsunade." I finished nervously.

A few minutes of silence followed after my last sentence.

"Sensei?" I whispered, attempting break the horrid silence that had engulfed my little apartment.

"I see." Was the only little reply I received.

I glanced over at my sensei. He wore a dark gray jumpsuit underneath a dark green Shinobi vest. He also had messy, spiky light brown hair and dark gray eyes. I also noted that he wasn't wearing his usual face armor. His face was expressionless as he stared at the map I was given and read over my mission papers.

My jaw just about dropped to the floor when his face lit up with a wide smile.

"Haruka, I believe in you." He said, smiling proudly at me from his perch on the windowsill.

"Thank you sensei!" I squealed, throwing myself at him and wrapping my arms around his waist in a tight hug. He returned the hug with that same proud grin stretched across his face. "I won't let you down! I promise! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!"

To me, I had just heard my sensei's approval that I'm ready to go on this mission and he won't attempt to stop me. And that he was proud. That was more than enough for me.

"Alright, alright," Tenzou gasped after a few seconds, detaching my iron grip from his waist. "You need to prepare for your mission, and _I _have to go now."

I frowned at my room. Preparing is my least favorite part.

"Don't worry; I'm sure you'll manage to overcome your intense fear of packing for a mission." He laughed, ruffling my hair and turning to leave.

"Wait!" I called. He turned around and shot me a questioning look. "…Will you be there to see me off?"

"Unfortunately I can't," he frowned, "I've been assigned a mission."

"Right." I sighed.

"Don't give me that look- I'll be here when you get back." He grinned, turning, and giving me a wave before he darted off into the newfound darkness.

Once again I sighed, turning back to my horrifyingly messy room.

"Alright...extra clothes are a must...toothbrush...a few bags of chips..." I muttered to myself as I packed the items into my little messenger bag that could hold way more than I thought possible for such a minuscule bag.

Once I had shoved all of the necessities into my little messenger bag, I tossed it at the wall, followed by the manila folder. I placed the map on my nightstand where I would surely see it in the morning, plopped down onto my pillow, and closed my eyes, contemplating my plan for approaching the Akatsuki. So far I had _nothing_. What was I supposed to do? Just walk up to them and say, 'Hey, tell me all your freakin secrets so my village can hatch a plan to destroy you.' They'd probably laugh at me. And then kill me. Slowly.

As I lay thinking about my impending doom, my eyelids began to droop. Soon enough I had drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

Well, there it is xD I hope you liked it. :)

Please review :) It motivates me to write more~ See you next chapter (hopefully) !


	2. Deidara and Tobi

Disclaimer: Again, I do not own Naruto. Just Haruka~

**Word Count: **2,497

OH. MY. GLOB! Thank you so much for reviewing! YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU :D Like you AnimeDuckPerson ! FIRST REVIEWER. I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU. And Frozen Paint~ Who happens to be my best friend in the real life and always supports me no matter what ~ :) Oh and if you have the time, she's also working on a fic (which I love :"D), which you should check out. Anyways, I LOVE YOU GUYS. I mean seriously, this really motivates me to write :"D THANKS AGAIN~

XXX

Chapter Two: Deidara and Tobi

"_Ouch!_" I grunted. Rolling out of bed and face planting into the floor wasn't what I considered an ideal way to start my day. (HAH. I should be a poet. See what I did there? LOL nah your eyes would bleed.)

I sat up groggily and stared at the sunlight streaming through my window and onto the piles of clothes covering my floor. I was supposed do something today, but I couldn't quite remember what it was…

"OH SNAP!" I shouted at my empty apartment, "the mission– holy kami she's gonna kill me!"

This was just my luck. I glanced nervously at the clock, hoping, no, _praying_, that it would tell me that it's at least seven thirty. Great. Seven fifty nine. _'One minute, there's still one minute!' _Clinging to that thought, I sprinted to my closet and yanked out the closest outfit, which happened to be a black tank top and black capris. I quickly pulled the clothes on and tied my headband around my neck, brushed my teeth and hair, threw on my messenger bag, and grabbed the map from off of the nightstand.

I leaped out of my window and began hopping the rooftops all while muttering profanities under my breath. Hopefully Lady Tsunade wouldn't injure me enough to jeopardize my mission.

After four minutes of leaping the familiar rooftops, I finally reached the village gate. I assumed that by now it would be 8:10. I groaned inwardly, peaking down at the entrance from the rooftop I was residing on. So far there was no sign of Lady Tsunade…

"_WHERE IS SHE?_" Lady Tsunade suddenly roared from somewhere outside of the gate. Oh brother. She's going to _murder_ me.

As I sat atop the roof, I began contemplating over whether I should go face the angry Hokage or make a run for it while my legs were still attached to my body. After a few seconds, I decided to take my chances with the raging Tsunade. After all, there are witnesses.

"_HARUKA! I KNOW YOU'RE THERE. GET OUT HERE NOW!_"

…Maybe I _should_ run.

Deciding against the most reasonable option that wouldn't involve me getting destroyed, I leaped off of the roof I had been resigned atop of and landed a few inches from a seething Tsunade. My face probably went through some kind a metamorphosis, because I could feel the emotion on it changing from a nervous smile, to a terrified frown, a disappointed-in-myself pout, and finally deciding to remain at a nervous smile.

"S-Sorry I'm late…" I stuttered, staring at the ground, "I got caught up by a rampaging herd of…um…angry…yes, very angry…ostrich?"

_OSTRICH? _I felt like kicking myself. Or stabbing. Whatever works in knocking me unconscious so I don't have to deal with Tsunade and her rage.

Tsunade's eye twitched and she gave me a _do-you-really-think-I'm-that-stupid _look. I slapped on my most innocent smile, which earned me a sigh from her.

"Alright, since this is such an important mission, I'll let it slide this time," she growled while suddenly leaning in and whispering in my ear, "But I know you overslept, and next time, the situation won't turn out so pretty…"

My eyes tripled in size. No, _quadrupled_ in size. How the _hell_ did she _know_? I spared a glance at her. She was smiling sweetly now, all the creepy pasta gone, but I could see a hint of apprehension clouding her eyes. Are the Akatsuki really _that_ dangerous? I've never seen the Hokage look at me with such worry. Old feelings of anxiety began to slither up my spine. Great. Another emotion I could live without.

"I-It won't happen again," I managed to stutter after a few minutes. "…And Lady Tsunade? You don't have to worry. I'll be fine. And I'll be back in perhaps a few weeks or maybe a month at max…with a ton of dirt on the Akatsuki!"

"I'll be looking forward to it," Tsunade smiled, her face suddenly growing serious, "Be careful."

…Well, that was an understatement.

"You know it!" I shouted, turning to leave. "Don't worry; I'll be back before you know it!"

"Aren't you gonna at least tell me goodbye before you leave?" A familiar voice said, suddenly making a star appearance. I quickly whipped around to see my sensei standing a few feet away in the cover of the trees, wearing his ANBU mask.

"Sensei!" I shouted, throwing my arms around him in a tight hug, which he returned after a few seconds. Yep, this was just like him, showing up unexpectedly right after he said he wouldn't be able to make it.

"What are you doing here? I thought you couldn't make it." I asked, staring up at him with eyes full of curiosity.

"Did you really think I wouldn't be here to see my favorite student off for an S-ranked mission? You must not think very highly of me." Tenzou laughed, ruffling my hair. I tore away from his hug and crossed my arms. Sometimes that ANBU mask really frustrates me. I can't tell if he's smiling at me or what.

"Stop ruffling my hair…I'm eighteen!" I growled, glaring up at him.

He laughed at this. "Still not old enough for me to _stop_ doing that."

Before I could let out a sharp remark, Tsunade began to speak. "Alright, it's time for you to leave Haruka." I glanced at my sensei, who of course, was staring out into the forest. Since I couldn't see his face for that damn mask, I couldn't tell if he was anxious or not. I guess I don't have to see his face to know that he is. I sighed inwardly.

"Finally!" I danced around the Hokage and my sensei, my excitement suddenly overpowering my worry. "I'm gonna own this mission! You just wait!"

"We'll definitely be waiting." Tenzou muttered. Yep, the usual anxiety.

"Right, well, see you guys later!" I waved to them as I dashed off into the forest, eager to begin my mission.

XXX

After a few minutes of sprinting blindly through the forest (probably because I just, for a moment, forgot what the hell I was doing), I skidded to a stop and plopped myself down under a weeping willow tree, yanking the map up in front of my face.

I stared at it. It displayed all of the major countries: Konoha, Suna, Iwa, Kiri, Kusa, Taki, Ame, and Oto. There were other smaller villages on the map. It also had the Akatsuki's abandoned hideout marked with a star.

I swear I could feel my eyes glaze over as I went from understanding what I was doing, all the way to just plain confusion.

_Right… here I go. Right…about…now…_

Alright. I'm not the best at reading maps. I growled in frustration, turning the map around as if the back of the stupid thing would hold any answers. There wasn't an answer, but what I found instead made me gasp in astonishment.

On the back side of the map, right in the middle of the page, was a phrase written in tiny, crimson letters: "_Never forget who you are._"

Now how the hell is _that_ supposed to get me to the current Akatsuki hideout? And why is it even there? What does it mean? I cursed under my breath and flipped the map back to the front, attempting to refocus on my mission.

_Alright, so if I'm by Konoha, then I guess I'll have to travel northwest to reach the abandoned hideout, _I thought, tracing my finger from where I am now to where I'm supposed to travel. _Time to go catch me some Akatsuki!_

I quickly jumped up from my spot beneath the weeping willow and started to dash in some direction that I assumed was northwest. I scanned the map again. It takes about three days to reach Suna, so if I go at a steady pace, I should reach the village within that set time period.

I began to think of the criminals I was supposed to fool. What were their names again? Deidara, Tobi, Hidan, Kakuzu, Itachi, Kisame, Zetsu, Konan, and…damn…what was his name again? This is _such_ a pain in the...yes! That's his name! Pein! Apparently he's the leader, and I couldn't even freakin remember his name. I felt like banging my head against a tree.

After a few minutes of running, I began to hear voices projecting from a clearing to my left. I skidded to halt and leaped up onto the nearest tree branch, peeking through the green, yellow, and brown leaves at the clearing below.

I almost gasped at what I saw below my branch. Maybe it was the convenience of it all and that I could just follow them, or it was dread. I wasn't quite sure which one it was though.

Below my little hiding place and standing right in the center of the clearing were two men in black cloaks with red clouds on them. One of them had long, blonde hair that was tied into a ponytail and bangs that completely covered the left side of his face. He also had sky blue eyes. The other wore an orange mask that had only one eyehole in the right side and dark brown, spiky hair.

Regarding how I "studied" the Bingo Book two days before I left to go on this mission, I recognized the two as Deidara and Tobi, Tobi being the one with the mask and Deidara the blonde.

"Shut the hell up, un!" Deidara shouted, slamming Tobi against a tree.

"Ow, Senpai that hurts!" The masked one exclaimed, flailing against Deidara's grip on his cloak's collar.

_That's such a great example of teamwork_, I thought, smirking. I mentally slapped myself for being amused by my enemies.

The blonde released his grip on Tobi and his gaze turned from irritated to thoughtful as he watched his…_hand_? Why was he staring at his hand?

Just as I was discerning what the hell was going on in front of me, I caught sight of something white from the corner of my eye. The white blob, _thing_, or whatever it is, stopped midair in front of me, flapping its wings. I recognized it as a small clay bird. My eyes tripled in size when I realized that I could sense chakra emanating from it.

_Dammit, they know I'm here! _I thought, though I wasn't that surprised. They're from an elite criminal organization, how could they not know I'm here?

Just as quickly as Deidara made the hand sign, I leaped onto another tree branch on a different tree and away from the bird. Where I had been standing a minute ago suddenly burst into flames when the clay bird exploded.

_Oh I get it now. He infused his chakra into the detonating clay and made the bird explode._

"You may as well come out now, un." Deidara said, staring in my general direction.

_Guess I have no other choice_, I thought, leaping down from my tree branch and landing a few feet away from the two Akatsuki. I was desperately trying to keep my shaking legs under control.

"Senpai! It's a girl!" Tobi cried, and I assumed since he was turned towards me that he was staring. I raised a questioning eyebrow.

"So what, un?" Deidara hissed.

"It's rude to hit girls, Senpai!" Tobi exclaimed reluctantly, as if afraid that Deidara would send his fist crashing into his face…well…mask.

I could tell from Deidara's facial expression that he really wanted to do just that.

"Do it or I swear I'll kill you, un." Deidara growled through clenched teeth, glaring daggers at Tobi.

I was actually pretty grateful for this distraction. I definitely did _not _want a fight with these guys. And obviously Tobi didn't either, so in my personal preference andopinion, it was a two against one scenario. Like those pointless fights you get into with your little brother and your sister steps in and takes your side.

I contemplated my words carefully, all while trying to tame my terror of these guys.

It seemed like they had completely forgotten me as Deidara continued to practically wring Tobi's neck. I cleared my throat. Both of their heads snapped back to look at me as Deidara released his grip on Tobi's neck. Thatgot their attention.

"I wasn't trying to assassinate you or something," I said, amazed that my voice still worked even though I was practically cringing in fear. "I kind of just want to join your organization."

_IDIOT, YOU'RE AN IDIOT! _I shouted at myself inwardly. Yeah, like they would really accept me if I just politely asked. I don't know where I get my "logic" from.

Deidara started full on laughing, holding onto Tobi's shoulder for support. At least I provided them some form of entertainment.

"What's so funny?" I growled, all traces of fear being replaced by my fake anger. Yes, fake anger. If I focus on one emotion entirely, then I usually fail to recall that the other one even existed.

"I think we should take her to Pein-sama!" Tobi exclaimed and Deidara immediately ceased his fit of laughter. Once Tobi caught sight of Deidara's malignant expression, he began struggling to find an explanation. "I mean, she could be really talented for all we know and Pein-sama could have another member or at least helper!" Tobi blurted out the explanation at high speed.

The first thought that came to mind was, '_Why the _hell _is this guy helping me out?' _He's supposed to be my _enemy_, yet he acts like I'm some sort of potential best friend.

"We don't even know who the hell she is, un!" Deidara shouted.

"Well then I'll ask her, Senpai, please don't be angry with me!" Tobi replied despairingly and then turned to face me. "Who are you?"

_I guess there's no harm in telling them my name… _

"Haruka." I answered plainly.

"We know who she is now, Senpai! Haruka-chan!" Tobi exclaimed, as if my name was the greatest thing to ever exist.

Deidara muttered a string of profanities under his breath before turning towards me. "Where do you come from, un?"

"I'm a missing-nin from the Village Hidden in the Leaves." I replied, daring to look him in the eye.

Deidara's face lit up thoughtfully for a moment before he muttered something that I couldn't hear to Tobi.

"Yay, Senpai!" Tobi shouted, dancing around Deidara, who bonked him on the head with his fist.

"Ow!" Tobi exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head.

One moment I stood there trying to decipher what they were talking about, then the next everything went black as I felt myself crashing to the ground.

XXX

There you have it, le second chapter~ Hope you liked it :D!

Please review~! It really makes my day and motivates me to write more~ PLUS I'LL LOVE YOU FOR IT. Isn't that the greatest reward you could ever receive? :"D? Lol you're probably sitting there like "No."


	3. Hideout

**Disclaimer: **I still don't own Naruto.

**Word Count: **3,110 (Longer chapter)

I've decided that I might start updating every Monday, I dunno. I normally just update whenever but for some reason I want to start doing it on a set time xD I'm weird like that~

OH MY GOSH! Thank you guys for all the reviews~! I'll love you forever :"D! It means so much to me~! I really, really, REALLY appreciate all the support :"D

* * *

Chapter Three: Hideout

Blackness engulfed my vision as I tried to grasp whether I was conscious or not, although I could feel a slight bouncing up and down motion, as if I were being carried. I winced as I felt a sharp wave of pain on the back of my head. I could feel a sting in my wrists from where rope was digging into them. So they even tied me up.

I opened my eyes, all while tiny black dots danced around in my vision field.

At first I could only see dark green blobs ahead of me, but as my vision adjusted, I deciphered them to be trees and shrub. We were still travelling through the forest. When I had blacked out, it had been midday, but now the forest was engulfed in darkness, with the moonlight eerily bathing the path before me...or us…because I'm pretty sure I'm being carried.

I raised my head up and slightly twisted it to the left to see the side of Tobi's bright orange mask. I groaned inwardly as I realized he was carrying me on his right shoulder, most likely so he could see me through the eyehole in his mask, with his hand on my back to hold me in place. I almost began to wish that I would just blackout again.

"Senpai, Senpai, Senpai! Look! Haruka-chan's awake!" I heard Tobi's high pitched, childlike squeal.

It was enough that _he_ knew I was awake, but did he really have to make my presence known to the grouchy one? In my head, I cursed Tobi to oblivion.

"How nice, un." Deidara muttered sarcastically.

_It's not like seeing your face freshens my night either_, I thought indifferently, refraining from glaring at him. That wouldn't be the best idea.

Suddenly, the torrent of realization that I was being kidnapped by the Akatsuki came crashing down upon me, and I found myself literally shaking. What would they do to me? I'm not really any use to them, I'm pretty sure they've already got a member that's mastered water style jutsu.

"Haruka-chan, are you cold?" Tobi inquired, tilting his head slightly to look at me.

"N-No…" I stuttered, praying that he hadn't taken that as a stutter from the cold rather than from intense terror.

"Nonsense!" Tobi shouted, suddenly dropping me off of his shoulder. I let out a weak _oof _as my face met a stimulating specimen known as dirt. Tobi _is_ pretty tall.

I feebly raised my head up to look up at Tobi, cursing to myself, and gasped when he suddenly started to remove his Akatsuki cloak.

"Shit, what the _hell _are you doing, un?" Deidara growled, somewhat astonished by his partner's actions.

I almost sighed in relief when I saw that he was indeed wearing clothes under that cloak.

In reply to Deidara's question, Tobi crouched over me. I flinched when he started to wrap the oversized cloak around me. I just allowed him to have his fun in believing I was actually cold, and lay as still as a statue as he finished draping the cloak around my body, leaving only my head poking out. I felt like a Shinobi handbag.

"…Why would you even…" Deidara muttered darkly. "…Never mind…I don't even want to know what goes through that damn empty head of yours."

"We can't have our travelling companion cold, can we Senpai?" Tobi answered happily, swinging me back over his shoulder.

"Thanks…" I muttered, feeling that it was probably necessary to say that to someone who had just saved you from the cool autumn breeze. Even if it was someone who was more than likely going to kill you in the near future.

"You're welcome Haruka-chan~!" Tobi practically sang.

This guy just…amazes me. Pushing that fact out of my mind, I began to attempt to pick up some of my shattered courage and ask where the hell we're going, but I was pretty sure I already knew. I glanced at Deidara, trying to stare a hole right through that annoying fringe. I couldn't see his facial expression for it.

I finally gave up after I felt a headache coming on from the intense concentration.

Using up the last bit of courage that I had mustered up, I muttered, "Where are we going anyway?"

My courage shattered when Deidara turned his head to look at me. He gave a little smirk and then finally answered. "Headquarters."

I nodded weakly, tearing my almost identical blue gaze from his. I stared ahead and settled for naming off the types of trees that we trudged past. _Weeping willow. Apple tree. Evergreen tree._

I've gone officially insane.

"…Are we almost there?" I dared to ask, nervously blurting out the first question that came to mind. Well, the second question. I was wondering what kind of tree that one was that we had just passed. I was pretty sure it was a box elder, but you never know.

Deidara glanced at me again with that same menacing smirk that he had adopted since I had woken up.

_Weeping willow._

"Yeah, un." He answered, his voice harboring a hint of irritation at my childish impatience.

_Apple tree._

I was beginning to feel grateful for Tobi's cloak because the cool autumn breeze had begun to seep into the cloak, turning almost frigid as the night continued to loom over us. I felt my eyelids begin to grow heavy from exhaustion, and, no longer having the desire to piss off Deidara anymore than he already was, I drifted into a deep sleep.

* * *

"Where'd this damn kid come from?" A voice cursed, sounding frighteningly aggressive. I winced as I felt my body crash to the ground.

"Hidan-san, be nice to her." I heard Tobi reply in his usual, painfully cheerful voice.

"Shut the hell up, I'll do whatever the hell I want with her." The voice snapped.

I reluctantly opened my eyes and took in the people that suddenly appeared in my vision field. I was beginning to like the look of my eyelids much better. Crouching in front of me was Tobi, while to the left of him stood a man with silver hair, _purple_ eyes, pale skin, and the all too familiar Akatsuki robe that was unzipped to where his chest was visible. There was some sort of necklace around his neck, but I couldn't quite see it from this angle. I gawked at him, while he just stood there scowling at me. Then, to the left of him, was Deidara, staring down at me with a blank expression.

"Oh look, the fucking brat's finally awake." Hidan smirked. His eyes, which were filled with cruelty seconds before, quickly took on a stare of pure…bloodlust. I cringed. "Maybe Pein'll let me use her as a sacrifice."

"You and your damn sacrifices, un," Deidara snapped, glaring intensely at the silver haired one, who I assumed is known as Hidan, "If he had any sense, he'd let me blow her to bits, un." Deidara was staring at his palms, which of course, I couldn't see what exactly was so fascinating about them.

Hidan had opened his mouth to say something right as Tobi decided it was time to finally intervene.

"Quit it, you're scaring her!" Tobi exclaimed while poking me in the shoulder. "Haruka-chan, are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah." I lied, staring at the wooden floor beneath me.

"Hah, it's fucking scared to death." Hidan scoffed, beginning to laugh like I was the funniest "thing" in the world.

"_It_?" I growled, my harsh tone surprising me as I glared daggers at him.

I regretted it as soon as he abruptly ceased his cackling and glared right back at me, his eyes menacingly cruel as he grabbed me by the collar of my shirt, (well, the Akatsuki cloak that was wrapped around me) and slammed me against the wall that was apparently behind me that I hadn't been aware of moments before. I found it hilarious that through my anger, I wasn't afraid of him. At all. As I said, my fear was completely forgotten behind my mask of anger.

"Yeah runt, I'll fucking call you whatever I damn want." Hidan smirked. I met his glare with my own.

"Now _old man_, I did not give you permission to call me whatever you wanted," I snapped back, staring him right in the eye. The man before me was practically seething with rage after this statement, his face turning a dark crimson.

"…You started it."

This seemed to set him off. After another fit of shouting expletive language at me, he sent his fist crashing into my cheek. I gasped at the impact of it as the pain instantly spread throughout my face.

"Now you listen here bastard," Hidan hissed, his face inches from mine and his grip tightening as he crushed me even harder against the wall, "You get a fucking attitude with me and I'll kill you."

I would have pushed him further past his limit, but I decided to against it seeing as how I had a mission to complete. Konoha is depending on me and already I'm off to a terrible start. Also the fact that my anger completely dissolved the moment his fist connected with my face and now fear and pain is beginning to slowly replace it as the realization that I just got freakin socked in the face is finally kicking in.

"Hidan-san!" Tobi shouted, suddenly shoving Hidan off of me, which resulted in me dropping to the ground with a loud thud, and Tobi tilting his head questioningly at me. "Are you okay, Haruka-chan?"

_Did you not even see that? SURE I'M OKAY. JUST GETTING FREAKIN PUNCHED IN THE FACE BY AN ALBINO AKATSUKI DIDN'T AFFECT ME AT ALL! _

"_Sure _Tobi! I'm perfectly fine!" I mumbled sarcastically, the tone escaping my lips harsher than intended. I winced when the pain hit me like Hidan had just punched me in the face all over again.

"You're not mad at Tobi are you?" Tobi whimpered.

Is this even a man? Or some kind of sadistic child?

"Um…no?" I said, my answer slipping out as more of a question than an answer to his whimper.

"This one's certainly different."

_Oh great, not another one! Great Kami spare me! _I thought as I attempted to free myself from the ropes that were now digging uncomfortably into my wrists. Useless fact number one: squirming never works on the notorious villain known as ropes.

In my current condition, I couldn't handle _another_ Akatsuki, but what could I expect? Half of them just aren't gonna go on vacation while I sit here tied down by these stupid ropes.

I broke away from my reverie when a new shadow was suddenly looming over me. I looked up gloomily at the new face.

"OH SHI—" I practically shouted, squirming around against the wall. Hidan and Deidara stared at me like I'd just freakin stabbed myself. "You're Kisame Hoshigaki!" I squealed, staring up at the man that now looked quite astounded by my outburst. No doubt I had done my homework on this man. He was supposedly an expert of water style jutsu, plus he's _blue_, with razor sharp shark teeth and gills on both cheeks. His hair is a darker shade of blue and it spikes up in one direction. And then there was that sword of his that's wrapped in white bandages. _It can absorb chakra!_

"Teach me all the water style techniques that you know!" I squealed, leaning forward and peering up at him.

"Uh…" Kisame shot Deidara a look that said, '_Are we supposed to kill this crazy or is she here for a reason?' _Deidara just simply shrugged, glancing at me as he did so.

"Listen kid, you're lucky you're even alive right now," Kisame replied after a few minutes of contemplating, "And you seriously believe I'd teach you anything? You're just a useless kid." He was smirking, with those sharp teeth gleaming in the dim light. That really didn't sit too well in my mind.

Before I could glare a hole right through the man, I quickly reminded myself of why the hell I was even here. If it wasn't for the mission, I would most likely be dead right now. Probably because I would've ran my mouth already.

I allowed the fake smile to stay plastered on my face, while the Akatsuki around me sat awkwardly, not sure what to do next.

I took this moment of awkward silence as an opportunity to finally become aware of my surroundings. I sat in a medium sized room, not too immense, not too small. Actually, it would be quite cozy if I wasn't awaiting my death. The floors were simple, wooden, just a dark shade of brown, while the walls were light green. I allowed my gaze to travel to the furniture that sat directly in front of me. There was a worn out couch that was a faded out shade of some kind of red. In front of it sat a simple coffee table that looked so normal…until I spotted the blood stains atop of it. I cringed inwardly. No way in hell I would let them see me fazed by blood. My gaze quickly travelled away from the ruined coffee table and rested upon a cozy brick fireplace that was mounted directly across from the couch and the creepy coffee table. There were logs that looked like they hadn't been set ablaze, so I assumed this was their new hideout and that they hadn't used the fireplace yet. The smoke would just draw attention to the hideout anyway. To my left from the fireplace was a closed door. I vaguely wondered what was behind that door, but then thought about the bloodstain on the coffee table and decided I'd better not let my imagination get the best of me. Then, to the direct left of me, there was a door that I assumed we'd entered through. To my right, at the end of the wall that I had been crushed against by that asshole was probably a hallway. All in all, this place didn't appear to be where a criminal organization would reside in at all. It just looked like an ordinary, rather cozy home.

…They probably murdered the owner, thus explaining the gruesome bloodstain on the coffee table.

Kisame turned abruptly and started to walk toward the room to my right, which I had assumed is a hallway.

"Where the hell are you going fish-sticks?" Hidan scowled, staring after Kisame.

Alright, I'll give him credit…I had to contain a laugh at that snide remark.

Kisame grimaced at the nickname, which I assumed he had been addressed as in the past, and turned slightly to answer Hidan. He had a scowl planted on his face, his eyes portraying an extreme level of irritation.

"I'm getting Pein."

That's all he said before he rounded the corner.

"Finally, he's gonna give me the privilege of destroying her with my art, un." Deidara grinned, staring at the palms of his hands again. Just what _exactly_ is on his palms, anyway?

"No damn way. She's gonna be a sacrifice," Hidan snapped, suddenly scooting over beside of me and wrapping one arm around my shoulder. He had that sadistic, menacing grin on his face again. "Now, wouldn't you rather be sacrificed than blown to bits by that idiot?"

I attempted to shake his arm off, but that only made him tighten his hold around me. I glared daggers at him while he continued to shoot me that psychotic grin.

"You want my honest opinion?" I asked, as if this was the most casual conversation I've ever had. "…I'd rather be blown to bits."

It was my turn to smirk at him while his grin transformed into a scowl. He raised his fist to land a blow on my face again, but Deidara's extremely loud _'in your face' _laughter sent his fist in the opposite direction. Of course, Deidara caught it before it could smack into his face.

Beneath the terror I felt towards these guys, they were actually pretty darn amusing. Their stupidity was surprising due to their criminal S-class status, but yet they knew exactly what they were doing. Some sort of spark of admiration began to fan out in my chest, but I quickly pushed it aside with a feeling of dread. Sure, their crimes were flawless, but they've probably killed millions. How could I admire that?

While I had been absorbed in my thoughts, I hadn't noticed Hidan and Deidara literally wringing each other's necks all the while screaming profanities.

Suddenly I felt a nudge to my left. I turned my head to see Tobi staring past me, his supposed gaze resting on the doorway to the hallway. I hadn't even noticed that Tobi was still there, mostly because of the bickering "grown" men in front of me. I let my gaze follow his to see Kisame suddenly enter the room with a…shadow? I glanced at Tobi, but his…uh…eye… was still following Kisame and the shadow looking thing.

I stared at the shadow. It looked _menacing_. The only distinct features I could make out were the strange eyes and the spikes that were apparent on top of its head. The thing probably had spikey hair. The feature that intimidated me the most were the eyes. Its eyes were a light shade of purple, with extra…lines… receding from the pupil. I watched the cold eyes as its gaze travelled from Kisame to me. I almost shivered under the frigid stare, but looked him in the eye, no matter how frightened I had become.

I was beginning to assume that this is a jutsu that allows the user to be in two places at the same time.

The two men in front of me immediately ceased their bickering and awaited Pein's reaction to my presence, probably anticipating the most thorough way to destroy me.

For a while, my gaze was trapped in the shadow's mesmerizing, light purple eyes. I didn't quite know what to say.

After what seemed like hours of staring, Pein, at least I assume that's who the shadow is, finally spoke.

"Why is the girl here."

That wasn't particularly a question, more of an authoritative command. I glanced at Tobi, who lightly nudged my left arm. Apparently he expects me to actually _speak_. In my current state of fear, I was beginning to think that speaking anything that was even slightly coherent was impossible right about now, but I gulped and forced myself to look Pein in the eye again.

"I want to join your organization."

* * *

There it is~! Chapter three~

Don't kill me D: That cliffhanger was just begging for me to put it there. Blame its _**perfect **_timing. ; - ; !

Hope you liked it, the beginning was a pain to write, but towards the end of the chapter it was actually quite fun~ :)!

Please review, it would mean the world to me 8'D


	4. Never Underestimate Me

**Disclaimer: **I still don't own~ even after four chapters :"D

**Word Count: **4,205 (Oh sweet Jesus)

I just couldn't wait until Monday :"D I knew I would just break the set time thing, I'm an extremely impatient person~

Fight scenes are so hard to write, but eh, I tried my best :"D So yeah, after this chapter I can finally get this story going 8'D Romance will be coming up in maybe a few more chapters, maybe more? Those things take time. c':

Thanks to anyone who favorite or story alerted (Lol, "story alerted"). xD That's really the only reason this story is still alive xD I don't really get motivated if no one enjoys it. Downside= I got no reviews for the last chapter, which was a real spirit breaker. ;_;

* * *

Chapter Four: Never Underestimate Me

All was silent for an awkward five minutes. Hidan had this huge smirk on his face and Deidara had already heard this story before, so basically his face remained blank. Kisame just glared at the headband tied around my neck, and Pein continued to stare at me, his expression unreadable due to the fact that he is indeed a freaking shadow. I glanced at Tobi, silently pleading with my eyes that he would do something. I swear if this silence lasted any longer I would go completely insane.

"Leader-sama! Think about it! We would have a new member to help us! She could assist Zetsu in disposing bodies or assassinate anyone who's near our hideout," Tobi explained frantically, his words spewing out at rapid fire, but ceased abruptly when I could practically see a light bulb flash over his head, "LEADER-SAMA! SHE COULD HELP US CAPTURE THE JINCHUURIKI'S!"

Pein had remained almost totally emotionless at every statement, although I could see a sudden spark of raw ambition in Pein's eyes at the mentioning of me possibly assisting them in capturing a jinchuuriki.

_Jinchuuriki_, I thought with an inward scowl at the mentioning of that harsh word. _Exactly what people called Naruto…_

Naruto.

_He's my best friend…I can't even imagining even attempting to capture my best friend, to put him at risk for Pein's selfish ambitions. I could care less what people think of jinchuuriki's, Naruto is special, he doesn't fit anywhere into the stereotype people have laid out for the poor saps whose bodies are hosts for the tailed beasts. Hell, they don't know a damn thing._

Now that struck some emotional chord within me, for now I was struggling to conceal the battle between the stubborn emotions brewing inside of me, all of them fighting for the reward of an expression on my face. I managed to conceal all the emotional pests though as I continued to stare blankly at Pein, who now harbored a thoughtful look in his eyes. It was completely up to him now; there was really absolutely nothing I could do.

"I need to see this girl's abilities." Pein finally spoke after about two terribly long minutes, which was actually a relief, mostly because part of me had already begun the process of losing all sanity.

"How?" I asked. Our gazes locked yet again.

"You will battle Kisame," Pein decided, not even bothering to perceive the blue shinobi's reaction, which was indeed what you'd expect – surprise. "If you manage to fight skillfully and with power, then you can assist us with the capturing of the jinchuuriki or any other assignment with an exception of a few that you will not partake in. Not that you'll be an official member." His deep voice sent shivers down my spine. It was filled with so much evil and ambition. It sickened me.

"So basically, I either fight him off and show some promise, or die in the process?" I inquired, albeit I already knew the answer before he even said it in that authoritative voice of his.

"Yes." Pein replied. No emotion. Just what I'd expected.

Well, damn, this doesn't look too good. Kisame and I both thrive in the water, both using water style jutsu. Well, I hope everyone back home is prepared for a funeral, unless I'm "sacrificed" to that nutcase or blown to bits by that arsonist. Or drowned by the fish stick. Said fish stick happened to be my idol, having mastered all the water style jutsu. It would be pure luck if I won, and unfortunately, I'm like a freaking magnet for rotten luck.

"I like those odds…" I muttered, anticipation washing away my intense fear. I can't just sit here forestalling all of the ways I'm going to get drowned! Hell, I still have a chance! I began to squirm underneath the tightly bound ropes. After I saw no reaction to my fidgeting, I raised my voice. "Well c'mon then! Untie me and let's get this shit started!"

Pein raised an eyebrow, but nodded at Tobi to sever the ropes. It was then, when I felt a blast of cold air as my source of warmth was removed, that I realized that Tobi had detached his cloak from me. Although I was still skeptical about his true motives behind helping me, I was also insanely grateful and indebt to him. He practically just saved my life by convincing Pein to give me a chance. Plus he saved me from the cold. How could I question that?

As soon as the severed ropes hit the floor, I shot up from my spot and began to stretch my arms and legs. Deidara could've at least refrained from attempting to cut off my circulation with those ropes.

"C'mon Kisame! I _finally_ get to fight you! As in, your ass is going down!" I exclaimed, practically dancing around Tobi, who quickly joined me.

Kisame's eye twitched as he glanced at Pein, whose expression had not changed. He simply nodded and suddenly he was gone, probably teleported outside using a jutsu.

Tobi all but pushed me out the door that we had entered beforehand and I was immediately hit with a blast of frigid air. I shivered and watched my breath become visible in the cold night air, with it swirling around in front of me. It's not even winter yet, so why is it so darn cold?

Kisame led Tobi, Deidara, Hidan, and I to a small clearing where Pein was already awaiting our arrival.

Where are we even at?

_How am I supposed to mark this place on the map if I don't even know where I'm at? _I thought, realization finally setting in. _How am I supposed to complete this mission?_ There was only forest surrounding me, tall grass, and a small cave at the back of the clearing, along with Pein, Kisame, Tobi, Deidara, and Hidan. There just _had_ to be a village somewhere nearby. I watched as a slight gust of wind suddenly swept through the clearing we were assembled in, sending the leaves scattering off of the trees one by one.

I glanced at Pein, who was standing only inches away from me. He was watching me intently, his bizarre eyes fixated on my every movement. He could at least show up here in person, instead of hiding behind that imprudent jutsu…

My eyes wondered from Pein to Tobi, who was standing right at my side, watching me as well, almost with an air of expectancy to him. Kisame stood beside Pein, awaiting his order to begin our little scuffle. Deidara stood on the other side of Pein, along with Hidan who seemed indifferent to the whole ordeal; for he had his arms crossed and stood a little way off from the rest of Pein's group. It seemed like Tobi was the only one on my side, which, oddly, I accepted.

All of us stood as if we were at war, just waiting for one side to dare attack the other. Except Tobi and I were outnumbered, and it seemed as if everyone else was against our little cause. _Alright, that analogy didn't help me gain any security over this whole mess_.

It was pitch black outside, but it's always been relatively easy for me to see in gloomy environments, so the darkness has never bothered me.

"Begin." Pein suddenly stated dryly.

"Wait, what?" I panicked as Kisame lunged forward, his sword ready to pierce my flesh.

_That bastard! _I thought, cursing Pein to oblivion in my mind and dodging the long sword by swiftly sidestepping to the left just in time to hear it whiz by my ear.

I jumped back a little ways away from him and pulled out a kunai. I pelted forward at full speed and attempted to ram my kunai into his chest, but he quickly slammed his sword into it, snapping the weapon in half. _Shit! _I thought, ducking under his sword and darting forward to punch him in the face, but he swiftly caught my fist, squeezing it and beginning to twist it. I twisted my arm in the direction he was twisting my wrist, and focused a large amount of chakra to my foot, and rammed it into his stomach. I watched as Kisame literally flew across the clearing, his eyes wide. His body smacked into a tree all the way across the clearing, but on impact it transformed into a puddle of water that drenched the grass.

"Ah hell!" I blurted out when I felt Kisame's sword placed against my throat.

"Haruka-chan, you can do it!" Tobi shouted from somewhere behind us.

I quickly made the hand signs for a water clone jutsu right as the sword was lodged into my throat. Well, my clone's throat. The water from my clone spluttered all over Kisame, all while the shark man was grinning widely, the rows of his razor sharp teeth now visible.

"Oh I see, you're a water style user as well," He beamed, a smug grin plastered on his face, "At first I believed you were just a stupid little girl. Seems you know more than you led on, but it's still not enough."

"Water style, raging waves jutsu." I whispered to myself from my little hiding place in the trees. I focused chakra into the water that began to spew out of my mouth at full force. Kisame agilely dodged the missile of water that was spewing right at him at a blinding speed, which didn't really matter either because he wasn't the goal of the jutsu.

"Shit! Did you really have to fill this damn clearing with water?" Hidan protested loudly when I broke my jutsu and the clearing was completely filled, the water twelve foot deep.

_Right, I can do this! _I thought, hopelessly attempting to perk myself up. Something in the back of my conscious told me that this was only the beginning.

I swiftly made the hand signs for water clones, dispersing them all around the clearing and assigning one clone to submerge into the water and swim up under Kisame's feet, far enough under for the clone to be completely invisible to him, and wait until he's thoroughly distracted to yank him underwater. I could see him smashing my clones with graceful, yet savage strikes. One of my clones attempted to smash their fist into his face, but he grabbed their fist, all while blocking another clone's attack with his sword, and flung the clone into another one that was aiming to slit his throat with a kunai.

I leapt into the fray with another clone, swiftly dodging his sword and aiming punches at him in a simple bob and weave fashion.

_Now! _My mind willed my clone to pull Kisame under at this exact moment. Just as he was about to ram his sword into my stomach, I glanced down for only a millisecond to see my clone's hands emerge from the water and clamp down on Kisame's ankles. I quickly dodged his sword as he was submerged underwater, his eyes betraying his surprise. My clones all but submerged with him, continuing their scuffle.

"Water style: five hungry sharks!" I shouted, smashing my hand on the surface of the water. I released chakra from the five finger tips on my right hand, and the water underneath me began to shift into the form of five ferocious sharks.

"He's in deep shit now." I heard Deidara state dryly from the left side of Pein, who continued to stare into the water at Kisame.

Speaking of Kisame, he was grinning widely from underneath the water, probably because he had managed to take out all of my water clones. I smirked back at him, though that grin of his was beginning to frighten me. He was planning something, I just didn't know what the hell to expect. After all, this is Kisame Hoshigaki we're talking about.

_First meal_. I anticipated the shark's attack perfectly, but watched with disappointment as Kisame dodged it with ease, only managing to achieve a tear in the shoulder of his cloak. Only a miniscule about of blood swirled up out of the wound. _Dammit_.

_Second meal. _I watched as the shark darted out from behind him, again he dodged with ease.

The third and fourth meal met the same outcome. Only small wounds were apparent on his arms, legs, and chest. This time I _will _get him.

_Fifth meal. _This time I projected more chakra into the sharks as they all darted forward in perfect sync with each other, aiming right for Kisame's chest.

I watched as crimson began to seep into the pure aqua blue water. Once the sharks dispersed, I spotted Kisame holding his left arm, no doubt that the sharks had inflicted a severe wound. He had managed to dodge the most fatal impact of the attack, to say the least.

Suddenly I was forced to break the jutsu to dodge a familiar bandage wrapped sword that now smacked down on the water where I had just been crouching. I stumbled backwards and stared at him. _How the hell did he get a clone past my sharks?_

My gaze travelled from the Kisame in front of me to the one underwater, who was bleeding heavily from his left arm. I knew for a fact that the Kisame underwater was indeed the real thing, but how he managed to sneak a clone past my sharks was beyond me.

The clone shot forward at a blinding speed, the water behind him spewing up as he ran, but before I could make the hand signs for the next jutsu I had in mind, his fist had already connected with my stomach.

_Hello Haruka's stomach, I'm Kisame's fist, nice to meet you. _Such a pleasant conversation.

I gasped; my eyes wide as a small trickle of blood escaped from my lips as my body went limp and flew across the clearing. My back met the sturdy trunk of a tree as I doubled over in pain on the water's surface. Alright, maybe a plan was already formulating in my mind, but so what? I just looked like I was doubled over in pain, which in truth, I was, but I also had a plan to end this fight for good.

Kisame's clone had already trudged over to where I lay. I glanced past it for a split second to see the real Kisame making the hand signs for the jutsu I knew all too well, despite his arm that was now heavily bleeding.

I shot up, ignoring the immense pain in my abdomen and slammed my foot right through his water clone's chest. As I watched his clone converge into the water around us, I began furiously flying through the hand signs of the same jutsu he was now about to use.

"Water style: water dragon jutsu!" We shouted simultaneously.

I watched as both of our water dragons shot up into the air. Of course, Kisame's was a bit larger than mine due to his skill level. I knew that we would both be swept away when our water dragons clashed, which was all a part of my plan of course. Since Kisame contained a higher skill level, I assumed I'm probably going to suffer more damage from the impact than he will.

Our water dragons suddenly clashed. I forced more chakra into my water dragon, albeit with the knowledge that my chakra was almost completely depleted. I _had_ to make this work. I had to force both of our water dragons to explode.

"Don't even try girl," I heard Kisame's voice above the roar of the water, "You're already finished." There was a wide smirk on his face that pissed me off to no end.

_Right, steadily force the chakra into the dragon, not so much, now force it against his and…BINGO! _I thought as both of our water dragons exploded, sending me flying back against the tree I had crashed into earlier. I smirked as I watched Kisame fall right into my trap, meaning he smashed right into the nearest tree located directly behind him.

_…Now! _

I watched as my clone jumped down from the tree Kisame was perched under as his hand clasped over his heavily bleeding arm. His eyes widened as my clone made the hand signs for…

"Water prison jutsu!"

Water engulfed Kisame as the jutsu progressed, until finally he was fully imprisoned, with that look of pure astonishment still plastered on his face.

I heaved myself off of the surface of the water, forcing myself to stand. I glanced over at the additional Akatsuki members. It was then that I noticed another member had appeared. It was a shadow, most likely using the same jutsu as Pein. I recognized her as Konan. She was staring at me, her eyes revealing that she was impressed with my abilities. Pein's expression had only changed a tiny fraction, his eyes revealing his surprise in my success. Hidan was staring at my clone that had imprisoned Kisame, blinking rapidly as if he couldn't believe what the hell he was witnessing. Deidara scowled, but I could also see it in his eyes…_eye_…that he was slightly stunned as well.

Tobi was a completely different story. He raced over to me and engulfed me in a tight bear hug, lifting me up off of the surface of the water that we were all forced to stand atop of. The hug was almost, if not tighter, than Naruto's.

"Tobi knew Haruka-chan could do it!" Tobi shrieked, managing to squeeze me even tighter.

"T-Tobi…l-let g-go of m-me!" I stuttered, gasping for air.

Tobi immediately dropped me after that statement. I somehow managed to land on my feet, teetering slightly and having to lean on Tobi's shoulder for support.

I suddenly remembered Kisame. With that deep wound and all, his situation didn't look too pretty.

"Um…do you want me to break the jutsu?" I grimaced. I was light headed, for my chakra reserves were almost completely empty.

Pein nodded and I held back a sigh of relief. I broke the jutsu and Kisame plopped onto the surface of the water, the remnants of my jutsu crashing around him, along with my clone disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

"Hah, looks like fish-sticks got his ass kicked!" Hidan scoffed, his signature smirk deciding to make reappearance.

Kisame shot Hidan such an intense glare that he immediately ceased his fit of laughter.

* * *

I sat on the faded crimson couch that was located in the room that I had first witnessed, behind the blood stained coffee table. Pein was leaning up against the wall beside the fireplace, with Konan by his side. Deidara was sprawled out beside of Tobi, and Hidan to the left of Deidara. Kisame stood beside the doorway to the hallway. Tobi sat beside me, practically ready to spontaneously combust.

"Can Haruka-chan help us leader-sama?" Tobi inquired cheerfully. "She did wipe the floor with Kisame!"

Kisame glared daggers at Tobi, but Tobi was too busy staring at his leader in anticipation.

I had defeated Kisame, hadn't I? It wasn't much of a victory for me because of my almost empty chakra reserve. I had managed to make it out alive, and with minimal damage, save a few cuts and bruises. The only wound that would turn out to be troublesome for me would be the already humungous bruise forming on my stomach. Damn Kisame.

"Kisame, go to Kakuzu and tell him to stitch up your wound." Pein ordered without removing his gaze from mine. His eyes took on that thoughtful look once again. Kisame nodded, sending one last death glare Tobi's way before trudging over to the hallway.

I shifted uncomfortably under Pein's gaze. It was either that or the blood stained coffee table; I couldn't decipher which disturbed me more.

"Assemble." Pein suddenly commanded.

_So he can communicate with his members somehow through a special ability or jutsu…damn…he's so full of surprises_.

It didn't take long before one of the Akatsuki came walking out from the hallway. Another just appeared via jutsu, like Pein and Konan. Just my luck to have to suffer the fate of conveniently showing up when most of them weren't on missions.

Oh, right, they had probably been sleeping. I assumed that it was at least around ten o'clock. When I first arrived at the hideout I had assumed the time to be eight o'clock. I suddenly felt a little embarrassed to be forcing them to assemble when they had been sleeping, albeit there was a voice in the back of my mind shouting at me that they were criminals and didn't even deserve the place they're residing in currently.

Among the pool of Akatsuki members in the room, I could pick out one that just plain frightened me. Itachi Uchiha.

The stoic man was standing off to the side beside the other door that went to Kami knows where, staring blankly at me with…those sharingan eyes, the kekkei genkai that only the Uchiha's bloodline possessed. The sharingan could see every movement, every attack, and also grant the user the ability to see their opponent's flow of chakra. Even worse, it possessed the ability to induce the opponent into a deadly genjutsu.

Originating from the same village, I knew about the slaughtering of his clan, brought to you by the one and only Itachi Uchiha. Oddly, Itachi had spared his younger brother, Sasuke. Apparently Itachi and Sasuke are the only Uchiha's left after the massacre.

I had been acquainted with Sasuke before he decided to leave the village and train under Orochimaru. I can't say I particularly liked him, but I considered him a comrade. When he left the village, I was carrying out a mission, so I hadn't the time to help find him. Sasuke's departure really hit Naruto hard, so I can't really forgive the guy for hurting my best friend like that. Inflicting pain on the ones that care for you, leaving them for vengeance…the whole idea just repulses me.

This was the man that had caused it all.

I avoided the older Uchiha's gaze and instead focused my attention on the remaining member that I had not yet analyzed. Zetsu stood beside Itachi, but he was using the same jutsu as Pein and Konan. I could only see his glowing yellow eyes, along with the shadow of the huge Venus fly trap plant that surrounded his head. Kisame and Kakuzu were the only ones that weren't present.

After everyone had settled, Pein spoke.

"This girl will assist us in the capturing of all of the jinchuuriki," Pein said, not bothering to take his eyes off of me, "You are to treat her with respect..."

Before Pein could say another word, Hidan cut in.

"What the hell? You're letting her in? She's just a fucking kid! We don't even know who the hell she is!" Hidan complained. There they go underestimating me again. This thoroughly pisses me off.

Against my better judgment, I decided to correct Hidan's mistake.

"Alright, listen here you fucking albino, I'm not going to just sit here and take your shit. I could care less if you're an Akatsuki, you don't intimidate me at all," I snarled, looking past Tobi and Deidara to glare at Hidan, "For your information, I'm eighteen. I'm a missing-nin from Konoha. The _only _piece of information scum like _you_ need to know," I paused, glaring at _everyone _in the room this time, "_Never_ underestimate me."

I had directed the "scum" part to Hidan specifically.

Hidan shot up from his spot on the couch, stomped over to me, and I felt cold hands wrap around my throat. Said hands began to squeeze as Hidan glared daggers at me, purple eyes clashing with dark blue. I simply glared up at him, albeit the horror I was feeling inside of me. The thing is… I'm quite good at masking my emotions.

"Hidan, that's enough," Pein said sharply, his voice sounding tired and most all, irritated. "Treat your comrades with respect. This also applies to you." Pein shot Hidan and me a glare.

"_WELCOME TO THE AKATSUKI HARUKA-CHAN!_" Tobi suddenly screeched in my ear. I practically shot up off of the couch, stumbled past an angry Hidan, and crashed onto the coffee table, right on the…bloodstain.

I lay sprawled out on the coffee table, openly cringing as I felt the sticky blood seep into my clothes. I could hear Deidara practically strangling Tobi behind me. I reluctantly glanced up at Pein with an _I'm-sorry-I'm-kinda-stupid _smile plastered on my face, and found that his eyes actually portrayed a bit of amusement at my mistake. That spark of amusement evaporated as soon as I saw it.

"You'll be staying with Deidara and Tobi." Pein said. He stared down at me with those eccentric, ripple patterned eyes. I could swear I've seen those eyes before…

After I realized I was staring, I cleared my throat rather awkwardly and attempted to speak coherently without shrieking that I had freaking blood all over me.

"…Thank you…"

I mentally kicked myself for how weak and _affectionate _my voice sounded.

* * *

Gah, this chapter was _such a pain_. It took _forever _to write. It's the longest chapter I've ever written~

Hope you enjoyed, I worked extremely hard on it~

Pleeeasssee review? This took forever, and a review sounds very nice right about now~? :3


	5. Memory of a Memory

**Disclaimer: **I STILL DON'T OWN NARUTO :D

**Word Count: **2,620

Whoa, I got so much inspiration for this chapter. **SO IT'S A REALLY EARLY CHAPTER UPDATE! YAAY! **And it's all because of the wonderful reviews I've received! Plus I'm in an extremely good mood right now, even more so than normal. Like Tobi kind of spontaneous LOL. I'm going to start listing the pen names of the reviewers at the end of each chapter! :3 I mean really, I couldn't do this without your guy's support. You all are the greatest! My goal is to reach at least fifty reviews before I reach chapter fifteen or so. Who knows, we'll see :D Thank you guys so much!

Sorry, this chapter is sort of a **filler** for the next chapter to come. It starts out kinda serious, but then gets silly. Probably because of my mood right now xD Except the dream she had is _**really**_ important so you don't want to overlook it because of the silliness of the chapter xD The seriousness will commence in chapter six! So here's chapter five! Read on~!

* * *

Chapter Five: Memory of a Memory

So here I was. Trapped on a queen sized mattress in one of Tobi's bear hugs, except this time it was accompanied by snoring.

Shit, how the hell did this happen? Ending up sharing a bed with an S-ranked criminal? Oh right…being the complete ass Deidara is, he had thrown me a single pillow and told me sleep on the floor. I was perfectly fine with the concept, but of course Tobi wouldn't allow it.

"Haruka-chan! You can't sleep on the _floor_!" Tobi had shrieked, flailing his arms in exaggeration.

"I'm perfectly fine with—"

…Of course he didn't listen. He had had an iron grip on my arm already, so I was forced to give in.

I had fled to the other side of the bed, all while being forced to listen to Deidara's extremely loud laughter at the situation at hand, and thanked Kami that Tobi had some sense and didn't attempt to get any closer than the complete opposite side of the bed.

It was only after I'd been asleep for a few hours that he had unconsciously decided to drape (_attack _would be more accurate) all over me, with one arm secured tightly around my waist and the other gloved hand dangling in front of my face. It was pretty obvious from the beginning that he'd be a hugger. I openly cringed, afraid to move so much as an inch.

Why is it always _me_ that has to end up in these rather _awkward_ situations?

The more important issue at hand here is the matter of the jinchuuriki hunt. I know I can't go through with something like that, but, how else could I observe the process of the sealing technique? How else could I earn their trust? The only reason Pein took me in was because of this whole jinchuuriki business. He can't be that desperate, could he? He's only lost one member – Sasori of the Red Sand. It wasn't that huge of a blow. The sealing technique only required nine people, so why bother taking me in if a new member isn't exactly required?

Tobi seemed more than ecstatic to welcome me into the Akatsuki. But Tobi…is Tobi, right? Why would his decision make such a huge impact on Pein's verdict?

Unless…there's more to Tobi than meets the eye.

I pushed this thought to the back of my mind so as to not begin hyperventilating over who the hell this man is. At least the Akatsuki haven't attempted to murder me yet, though most people would claim that me and Kisame's battle was sort of attempted murder.

I gently prodded Tobi's gloved hand out of my face so I could stare out the window of the room, which is actually pretty pleasant just to be dubbed "hideout". The wooden floors are polished and a soft, dark brown color, while the walls are a light red. There are two beds, both queen sized, clad with white sheets. The beds were separated by a circular nightstand with a simple lamp sitting atop of it. The previous owner must have taken prodigious care of this place.

My mind wandered to my mission. Even if I do manage to gather enough information on the Akatsuki, how could I escape them? Wouldn't they come after me anyway? Of course, by that time, I would have tons of intelligence on their organization, and if Naruto doesn't come searching for me (which I highly doubt that he wouldn't)…

_They're gonna have to make a stop at Konoha anyway…_

Oh shit. How many jinchuuriki have they captured so far? I have to delay the capturing of Naruto for as long as possible. I would probably be slaughtered if I didn't assist them, and this mission would all be in vain.

…My only choice is to aid them.

After about thirty minutes of contemplating how I'm going to pull this mission off, I drifted off in a fitful slumber.

* * *

When I woke up, I found myself right in the middle of a clearing. I glanced around, astonished to see snow lightly falling about around me, creating a soft blanket at my feet. Trees surrounded me, and I vaguely recognized that this is the clearing that Kisame and I fought in.

Suddenly a flash of orange and crimson caught my eye as I glanced to my left to see a…blood soaked body. I gasped, gawking at the familiar body in horror.

"N-Naruto?" I found myself shrieking, dropping to my knees beside his body, shaking his shoulder and shouting his name as if he could hear me.

_H-How d-did this h-happen? _I thought. I felt the tears that I'd been battling to hold back suddenly begin to sting my eyes as they burst through the wall that I had built up over the years to keep them hidden.

With tears now streaming down my face, I continued to stare, mouth agape at my best friend's body, when suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder. I peeled my gaze away from Naruto's lifeless form and slowly turned to face the person who had touched me.

"P-Pein? W-What happened?" I stuttered, staring up at him with wide eyes.

"Welcome to the Akatsuki, Haruka." Pein flashed me a grin and I suddenly felt something fall into my palm.

It was an orange Akatsuki ring…_Hidan's_ ring.

_Does this mean…Hidan is…?_

My gaze then travelled to my clothes. I gasped, as I not only discovered that I was wearing the familiar black cloak with the red cloud print, there was also crimson blood stains splattered all over the front of the cloak. A scream escaped from my lips as I witnessed blood smears spluttered all over my hands. This isn't my blood…

"_B-Blood_, P-Pein…d-did I-I…"

Shaking violently, I glanced from my hands to Naruto, who was now in a _sitting _position, growling at Pein and me. My head whipped around to Pein, who was smiling warmly at me, his peculiar eyes _soft_.

"_Why_ Haruka…_Why would you do this to us_?" I gaped as Naruto's voice, filled with anger and hurt, was directed towards me.

"N-No! I-I would never!" I panted, staring at Naruto in terror and scrambling backwards. This was the second time I've ever felt such remorse, such _guilt_. Old feelings from when I was a child began to resurface themselves in my heart, though I fought them back with everything in me.

Suddenly the clearing began to spin, Pein and Naruto disappearing, the colors around me blurring into one, and I was now facing the most humungous mirror I've ever seen in my entire life.

I stared at my reflection, which had now been morphed into my ordinary clothes and the familiar headband tied around my neck. Before I could ever begin to believe that everything was normal about me, my reflection evaporated from the mirror and I found myself staring at about a thousand scenes taking place in front of me, portrayed through the mirror. The images were played out at a speed that made my head spin, moving so fast my mind couldn't grasp any of what was playing out in them.

I closed my eyes, attempting to close out the dizzying images dancing around in the mirror.

_What the hell is going on? _

I gasped, for I could hear every word that I was thinking emanating in the room around me. I quickly opened my eyes and stared at the mirror that was still in front of me, except this time, it was smaller. The image portrayed in the mirror was now completely different, as I could see a little girl with auburn hair staring out into the forest with a bewildered expression. I leaned closer towards the mirror to catch a glimpse of what she was staring at.

I watched as the little girl began to race out into the forest, as if she were looking for someone. I stared at the mirror intently as I saw her crouch in front of something.

My eyes grew wide and I stared at the mirror in horror when I realized what (rather, _who_) she was knelt beside. Fresh tears began to stream down my face as I stared at the horrible nightmare in front of me that had been playing on repeat in my mind for years when I was a child. I fought to look away, but my eyes and mind were glued to the mirror, the awful nightmare that I thought I had escaped.

There, on the mirror before me, was the playback of my discovering of my older brother's dead body.

It had been a cold, spring night. I had snuck out of the apartment and had trudged over to the area where my brother usually trained, hoping that I could actually pull off a surprise attack. What I found instead made my knees buckle underneath me and my whole body shook rapidly with the force of the sobs that escaped the confines of my heart.

At the time I was eight years old; residing with my older brother in the small apartment I still live in now. I had never met my parents; they had died honorably on a mission before I was three years old, leaving me in the capable hands of my older brother.

My brother and I shared an eight year age difference. He had suffered through a bildungsroman, or loss of innocence, at age ten because of our parent's death. He was forced to grow up, constantly putting my safety before his own, a formidable ninja who would sacrifice anything to protect the ones he loved.

We didn't look related, mostly because my hair was light auburn, apparently the color of my father's hair, and his had been a dark brown, like my mother's. While I have dark blue eyes, my brother had light green eyes that were always full of compassion for his village and me.

I was snapped out of my reverie when the image of my sobbing form was suddenly blurred and it was like someone had hit a fast forward button, for the images began buzzing through months and eventually years of my life, memories speeding by so fast that I couldn't really pick out any of them individually, plus my vision was still blurred by my tears.

I leaned in closer as I picked out a more recent memory, portraying me being trapped by Tobi on the bed…but…wasn't that supposed to be me right _now_? The images never ceased, which meant that it…was showing me the…_future_? Fortune telling is one philosophy that I've never particularly believed in, but the images of the…future…seemed to move even faster than the past memories until I almost fainted from the overpowering dizziness I was feeling now.

As the images began to move even faster still, the mirror began to crack. I stumbled backwards as the mirror completely shattered, the last image still portrayed on the sparkling, shattered shards.

I saw flashes of orange, red, yellow, auburn, and purple on the array of colorful, individual shards.

Suddenly the walls around me, that had been completely black, _blinked_. I stared up at the walls in horror as I gawked at the familiar eccentric, ripple patterned eyes that were now portrayed on every wall that surrounded me.

I resorted to falling onto my knees, my flesh tearing on the sharp shards of glass, and stared into the hypnotic eyes, somehow my terror receding from me, much like the ripple pattern of the eyes.

* * *

"_HARUKA-CHAN!_"

I screamed as I shot up from where I lay, and felt myself crash into a wooden floor. I slowly opened my eyes to find that my face and the wooden floor were having a nice, friendly introduction.

I groaned and pushed myself up timidly to find Tobi's mask inches from my face.

"_TOBI!_" I shrieked, scrambling backwards against the bed, panting like I had just run all the way to Suna and back.

Tobi and I were perched on the slightly narrow expanse of wood that separated the two queen sized beds. Early sunlight filtered into the room through the window and I could see Deidara twisting and turning on his bed before he finally sat up and blew up on Tobi.

"_SHUT UP DAMMIT! SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO SLEEP HERE BEFORE WE HAVE TO GO CHASING AFTER ANOTHER DAMN JINCHUURIKI, UN!_" You could basically see the smoke billowing over Deidara's head as he shrieked at Tobi.

"But Senpai! You're the one yelling!" Tobi argued in our defense, jabbing an accusing index finger his way.

That did it. I could basically hear the last string of patience sizzle and crackle as it was burned away with the rising anger boiling up inside of Deidara. I pressed myself further into the mattress behind me, not willing to come to Tobi's defense, as I was scared stiff of the frighteningly _menacing _glare Deidara was sending Tobi's way.

"Holy _shit_!" I cursed as Deidara leapt off of his bed, commencing his usual routine of strangling Tobi. Except this time he had him in a headlock.

Suddenly, I thought up a distraction to save Tobi. It was risky, but I felt in debt to him, so I swallowed the lump in my throat and scooted over to the angry Deidara and flailing Tobi.

"Um…guys…" I asked. I timidly poked Deidara's shoulder, which if he'd noticed, he didn't show it as he continued choking the life out of his partner.

"_GUYS! I HAVE AN IMPORTANT QUESTION ABOUT YOUR… I MEAN…OUR… ORGANIZATION!_" I screeched, peeling Deidara off of Tobi and glaring down at them with an _I-am-your-father _kind of grimace.

I swear we've probably woken up the whole hideout by now.

"_WELL THEN WHAT THE HELL COULD BE EVER SO IMPORTANT, UN!_" Deidara shrieked right back at me. I sent my most vicious glare in his direction, but it probably looks extremely stupid due to my amusement in the current situation.

"Um…now that I'm in the Akatsuki…" I stared at Deidara's hand. He seemed to notice and shot me a questioning look.

"…Do I get to paint my nails too?" I shouted with false enthusiasm, grabbing Deidara's hand and staring at his nails with fake admiration. "_BOY NOW HOW DID YOU GET YOUR NAILS TO LOOK LIKE THAT? SO WELL MAINTAINED!_" I managed to force my voice to accurately maintain a girly teenage squeal.

I glanced up at Deidara to see that his visible eye was twitching and he shot me an ominous _I'm-going-to-kill-you _glare. Then, I watched as it gradually transformed into a smug smirk. I sent him a questioning glare, but then I realized I was still holding his hand in mine as I felt something warm and…_wet _on my palm.

"_EW! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!_" I screeched, staring down at Deidara's hand in disgust.

Deidara's smirk grew wider as he turned his hand around so his palm was facing the ceiling. I stared down at it as a long tongue lolled out of a…a…_mouth _that is apparently implanted into his _hand_.

"…" I said nothing as I stared down at his palm.

"Hah, I knew that would shut her u-" He was cut off by my loud squeal.

"OH GREAT KAMI THAT IS _AMAZING_!" I squealed. I stared down at the mouth located on his palm. I had to admit it…that _is_ pretty cool. In a weird, twisted sort of way I guess.

I watched as Deidara's expression transformed from smug to extremely irritated.

I could tell he was about to explode when suddenly a familiar, deep voice rang out through my head, calling out the familiar word that I had heard him use yesterday.

"…Assemble."

* * *

There it was~ Chapter five~!

Hope you liked it~!

Please review; I spend a ton of time on these chapters x-x

...See you next chapter? And c'moonn, throw me a bone and drop a review :3! I just love receiving those from you guys! 8D!

Special thanks to those reviewers out there (you know who you are but I'm going to tell you again anyway hur hur):

_**DuckAnimePerson, Frozen Paint, Origanum Vulgare, Sekaiichihatsukoilov3r, any anonymous reader who reviews :), KoriryuVEX, and Cetacea-of-Time!**_

ALSO, a thank you to the favoriters and story alerters :D!


	6. I Don't Believe in Superstitions

**Disclaimer: **Wha'da ya know, I still don't own!

**Word Count: **3,179 (sorta long chapter heh heh)

Helllllllo! I'm back~! And for some odd reason, I find myself updating on Wednesdays. Why it's _always_ Wednesday's…I just don't know.

I really enjoy writing this fic xD It's fun yet stressful at the same time. Ya da ya da.

Didn't have time to proofread, my brother was demanding to get on here. Oi, so if there are any mistakes, blame him xD

Yay! Finishing a chapter at 1:30 A.M is always so fun! I only get inspiration at night. It's so weird.

Anyways, please drop a review! Enjoy~

* * *

Chapter Six: I Don't Believe in Superstitions

Not only was I trampled by Deidara rushing to get out of the door, I didn't even have enough time to change into fresh clothes. Which, by the way, the one's I've been wearing are still covered in dry blood from the coffee table. I growled as I followed my wonderful "partners" out of our shared room.

I'm not even sure if I'm even considered an Akatsuki. Pein had told me that I wouldn't be an official member, but hey, shouldn't I still get one of those signature cloaks?

Once I had stepped into the hallway, Deidara, Tobi, and I were immediately met with the sight of Kisame and Itachi walking nonchalantly to the "living room". At least, the room with the faded crimson couch and bloodstained coffee table _looked _like a living room.

I avoided Itachi completely; even suffering the fate of being squished up against the ugly crimson and white striped wall of the narrow hallway by Deidara, for his stoic stature gave me an uneasy feeling. It was apparent that Itachi knew of my disgust towards him, but he shown no signs of it, or simply just didn't care. Kisame flashed me that toothy, shark like smirk. It was odd to see Kisame smirking at me, especially because I'm the cause of the stitches that are still implanted in his arm. Apparently the whooping of his ass was forgotten, or perhaps, maybe even forgiven, but I couldn't associate the word "_forgiving_" with the _Akatsuki_.

Once our little "group" had reached the living room, I halted right in the middle of the hallway at the sight before me. Deidara and Tobi almost bumped into me while Itachi and Kisame just weaved around us. Kakuzu, who was usually quite calm, looked as if he might explode in a matter of seconds, staring down at Hidan, who had some kind of metal rod piercing right through his chest, while lying on the blood soaked floor on some kind of diagram that was drawn from blood. I recognized the diagram to be a triangle enclosed in a circle, in which Hidan was lying in the center of it. My gaze travelled from Hidan's body and up to a man's that was hanging limply from the wall. My eye twitched rapidly as I stumbled backwards into Deidara.

"What's wrong with you, un?" Deidara asked irritably, steadying me by clamping his hands on my shoulders.

"Um…do you _not _see that?" I squeaked, jabbing a finger in Hidan's direction.

"Oh, right, you're new, un," Deidara muttered, "He's not dead, just doing one of those pointless sacrifices, un."

"_Pointless_?" Hidan hissed, raising his head to peer at Deidara. "I'd say your worthless explosions are fucking pointless, she-male." There was that trademark Hidan smirk again.

I face palmed at the scene in front of me (which consisted of Deidara ruining Hidan's ritual by tackling the religious man, who was now cursing furiously as the duo wrestled), and walked uneasily out of the safety of the hallway with Tobi at my heels. I ended up timidly seating myself beside an extremely tense Kakuzu on the faded crimson couch, fearing for my life in the process. My gaze never veered away from the scuffle in front of me.

"Does he always do that?" I asked Tobi, who had remained oddly silent, watching the scene before him.

"All the time, Haruka-chan!" Tobi immediately broke out of his strange stupor once I had directed a question at him.

"Brilliant. _Just brilliant_." I muttered darkly.

"Hidan, Deidara. Drop the stupidity." I heard Pein's deep voice command the wrestling men. The two Akatsuki immediately shoved each other away, one shooting the other a frigid death glare, and the other harboring an idiotic smirk.

My gaze travelled to Pein, and for the second time that morning, I almost fainted.

If under any ordinary circumstance, I probably would have collapsed by now, but since I found Deidara and Hidan's fighting to be amusing, plus I dragged myself into the Akatsuki in one day, I was probably bordering on mass hysteria more than anything else. You know, the insane type of hysteria when you can't stop laughing at something that's not even hilarious.

I attempted to contain this hysterical laughter as I stared at Pein, who is actually at the hideout _in person_. The first detail that I noticed about him (or that _anyone_ would notice at first glance), was the excessive amount of piercings. Frankly I was wondering how that didn't physically hurt him. His expression was what I expected – stoic. His hair was orange, spikey, and looked exactly like…Naruto's. I inwardly groaned at the reminder of my best friend, a twinge of sadness forming at the center of my heart.

I was vaguely aware that I was avoiding eye contact with Pein. I also regarded the cloak he was clutching in his hand with dread. The dream still threatened to resurface at any minute, albeit I was attempting to push it aside to ponder about later. Now was definitely not the time.

Once Pein had finally gained everyone's attention, he began to speak.

"Hidan, Kakuzu, you are now in charge of capturing the two tails," Pein ordered, earning an irritated grunt from Hidan, "I expect you to bring it back _alive_." After a muttered protest from Hidan (which was ignored), he turned to address Deidara, Tobi, and I. "Deidara, Tobi, you will capture the three tails."

_Um, hey, I was left out of that. Pein. PEIN. Look over here! I'm right here! I thought Tobi and Deidara were my partners and you didn't address me with them so what the hell is up with that…_

I was so preoccupied with my rapid thought process that I missed Itachi and Kisame's assignment. Before I could establish what had happened, I heard Pein's reply of 'dismissed', and only he, Deidara, Tobi, and I were left in the living room. I automatically assumed Hidan and Kakuzu had left to complete their mission, no doubt the same deal with Itachi and Kisame.

"Leader-sama, what about Haruka-chan?" Tobi cried, clinging to my arm.

Pein disregarded Tobi and turned his attention to me.

"You're coming with me to capture the six tails," Pein stated dryly, as if he was forced to make this decision, and suddenly chucked the cloak at me. I caught it and stared down at it with wide eyes. "Change into this."

"_Really?_" I shouted in the most enthusiastic manner I could muster. I decided that this wasn't enough to fool him so I stood up, practically leaped over the stupid coffee table (avoiding the amazingly large diagram composed of blood), and wrapped my arms around him in a bone crushing hug.

Astoundingly, Tobi was silent, as if he didn't know what to say about what I had just done. The silence wasn't anything bordering new with Deidara. I backed up a few steps, and even though I was terrified at the glare he was sending my way, I still managed to contain the phony-excited-fake-smile-façade.

"…Never do that again." Pein scolded, glaring daggers at me. My fraud smile never faltered.

"_HARUKA-CHAN IS SO LUCKY! SHE GETS TO GO ON A MISSION WITH LEADER-SAMA! TOBI IS SO PROUD!_" Tobi squealed, flailing his arms about in the air. I had to laugh at that, his flailing arms are freaking hilarious.

"_SHUT THE HELL UP TOBI!_" Deidara finally shrieked, his blue eyes brimming with irritation towards his immature partner.

"_BUT SENNNNPAI! HOW DO YOU DO THAT?_"

Here we go again. I could've sworn I felt a change in the temperature of the room because of the anger boiling up inside of Deidara, who was now strangling Tobi on the couch yet again. Is that all he does is strangle Tobi?

"…When do we leave?" I decided to ask Pein. I turned to look at him, but of course, avoided his lavender-gray ringed eyes.

"In an hour and a half." Pein replied dully. He stalked off into that room that I have just now decided to dub the "Nude Room", mostly because the name entertains me, plus I don't know what the hell is in there.

After carefully skirting Hidan's diagram yet again with my new cloak in hand, I trudged past Deidara who was still strangling Tobi and headed towards the room that I apparently share with them, making my way to the bathroom.

Before I entered the bathroom, I yanked my fresh set of clothes from my messenger bag that sat on the nightstand between the two queen sized beds. It had probably been probed. I grunted at the thought and trudged over to the bathroom.

Once inside, I shut the door and locked it, sighing. I turned around to find a medium sized little room, with tan walls and again, wooden flooring. There was a shower directly across from the entrance with a towel rack beside of it, the sink to the left of the room with a mirror hung on the wall above it, and a toilet beside of the sink.

"How intriguing," I muttered sarcastically, walking over to the sink and scrutinizing the little fancy soap bar that was shaped like a little duck. I smirked at it and untidily chucked my new cloak and flesh clothes at the wall. "…You're so lucky. You get to just sit here in all of this extravagance and wait for someone to use you to sanitize their hands. You don't have to do _anything_."

_I have gone officially insane_.

"Hey, dipshit, having fun with that duck in there, un?" I heard Deidara's sarcastic speech impediment coming from somewhere in our room and it sounded like he was having some sort of a laughing spasm.

"Fuck off! Shouldn't you be on a mission!" I growled from inside of the bathroom.

"_HARUKA-CHAN!_" After that statement came choking noises.

I sighed and shook my head, glancing at my image portrayed in the mirror. My auburn hair was a mess, my untidy bangs hanging limply above my left eye. My dark blue eyes were staring back at me with a bored expression. I sighed, pulling off my clothes and stepping into the shower after I had turned the handle to make the water steaming hot.

As I showered, thoughts bounced rampantly around in the confines of my brain.

_What did that dream mean? Was that really my future flashing before me in that mirror? Why did it show my brother? Why it was that Pein's eyes was the last image that I saw before I woke up?_

About a thousand unfathomable questions flashed through my head all at once, and I prepared myself for the flood of emotion to overcome me any second now.

But it never came.

I shook my head, pushing all of the dark thoughts to the back of my mind and into the file cabinet that is labeled _"Shit, More Troublesome Worries" _that is currently jammed packed. My mission is by far the most vital thought that should be racing through my head right now.

I have no choice but to accompany Pein in the search for the six tails jinchuuriki. How else could I observe his fighting style? Plus, I would get to witness the sealing process firsthand…hopefully. I'm assuming that they don't fully trust me yet. After all, I am a brand new "member".

As I stepped out of the shower and began to slap on my clothes, my mind wandered to Naruto and I immediately ceased what I was doing, clutching the black fabric with such intensity that my knuckles flushed white. I _had _to stop the Akatsuki from capturing him, and Lady Tsunade would more than likely agree with this. The Akatsuki can't imprison Naruto at all costs. For one, they would have the unlimited chakra of yet another tailed beast. Two, they would be murdering my best friend at the same time, and I simply cannot have that. I promised myself that I would protect him with my life, even if that means jeopardizing my mission, blowing my cover, and possibly dying simultaneously.

I shook my head in a pathetic attempt to clear it and resumed messily slapping on my clothes. Once I had changed into my familiar black tank top, capris, and black gloves, I stared down at the red cloud print cloak that I was clutching so tightly it was amazing my knuckles didn't shatter.

_Guess I have no choice…_

I carefully slipped into the cloak, finding it surprisingly soft. I zipped up the front, but left the area from above my breasts up until the collar of the cloak unzipped. It fit oddly perfect, not too baggy, and not too tight.

I glanced dejectedly at my reflection in the mirror, scowling at the cloak that I'm clad in. It was then that I noticed the crack in the far left corner of the mirror. I stared at it in horror, images from my dream resurfacing.

_No, no, it was just a dream. You don't believe in that shit. Nope. You don't_, I thought, attempting to console myself. I almost laughed at myself for even considering that dream to be some sort of omen.

I've never believed in superstitions such as fortune telling or omens. It was just a stupid explanation for someone who doesn't know the answer to a problem so they end up turning to whacked up superstitions, which just lead to more misperception.

With one last glance at the small crack in the mirror, I pushed the door open and peered into my shared room. No sign of Deidara or Tobi. I wasn't sure if this is a good sign or not. I crept over to the bedside table where my messenger bag was still perched, noting that my movements weren't slowed even in the slightest by the cloak. In fact, it moved along gracefully with my clumsy movements. Oh the irony.

When I reached the bedside table, I yanked open the flap on my messenger bag. Without glancing, my hand maneuvered through the bag, searching for the pouch that I kept my ninja tools stored in. It was then that my hand brushed past the familiar plastic wrapping that I realized just how hungry I was. I wrenched the bag of chips free from the messenger bag and began to munch on the chips as I continued to sift through my bag to find the pouch. Once I felt the fabric of the pouch, I tugged it out of the bag and opened it to check to see if all of my tools were intact. After I had counted my shuriken and kunai, I noticed that quite a few of them were missing. I could've sworn I put about nine of each in there. As I continued sifting through the pouch, my hand found itself resting on a piece of paper. I pulled it free and stared down at it, my anger slowly boiling to the surface.

_Hey Dipshit, while you were muttering sweet nothings to your little sex partner (soap duck), I decided to take it upon myself to __steal__, I mean, _borrow _a few of your tools. _

_-Tobi_

That was _not _Tobi. That little asswipe! I found myself clutching the paper tightly, and felt it crumple under the force I was exerting on it. The few remaining chips in the plastic bag suffered the same fate.

"_DEIDARA!_"

My shriek erupted throughout the entire hideout. I grabbed my messenger bag, latched the pouch shut and adjusted it to where it was firmly wrapped around my thigh for easy access, and stormed out of our room, slamming the door shut. I'm pretty sure I heard the door crack when I slammed it, but that was the least of my worries at the current moment.

When I erupted into the living room, I was met with Pein waiting patiently for me, perched in a very…er…leaderly fashion on the couch. I assumed that the position was that of an Akatsuki leader's – arms folded behind his head and his feet propped up on the coffee table.

"I'm ready." I growled dryly.

Pein nodded, stood up, and opened the door, stepping out into the cold autumn morning. I followed reluctantly with the knowledge that I may have just ruined my life when I accepted assisting him in the capturing of the six tails.

* * *

_**Pein**_

This had to be the most irritating kunoichi I've _ever_ had to put up with in my entire life. Madara would pay. If it weren't for his orders, this girl would be bloody, dead, and dumped in a trench somewhere far away from me.

We had been walking for a grand total of twenty minutes and she was already pestering the shit out of me with inquiries that were directed at me at rapid fire.

"Are we there yet?" She inquired, practically dancing around me.

"No."

"Do you even know where we're going?"

"Yes."

"How."

"None of your concern."

"Actually, I'm on this trip too ya know, so I think it kinda is."

I bit back a death threat. What the hell did Madara even see in this girl? She's an arrogant, stubborn, overly annoying heathen that possesses no special abilities or talent, other than her mastery of water style jutsu. …We have Kisame for that.

"Pein?"

"What?" I growled through gritted teeth. I ignored the fact that she didn't address me as "leader", albeit it did sound quite nice to be addressed as something else.

"Now that I'm…um…sorta…in the Akatsuki," she suddenly muttered awkwardly, giggling a bit. I glanced down at her, for she only came up to my shoulder, and saw that she was staring at the ground awkwardly, but I could tell she was attempting not to laugh hysterically. "…Do I have to paint my nails?" That's when she started cackling, almost exactly like Hidan, holding her stomach and almost falling over.

I forced myself to stay calm, refraining from jamming a kunai down her throat. Not the best method of murdering someone as dangerously irritating as her, but it was overall a very satisfying thought.

"Yes."

"Well, shit."

We continued to trudge through the forest, the dry, multicolored autumn leaves crunching beneath us and swirling around us in the cool breeze with every step. I glanced up at the sky. Earlier it had been clear, but now dark, gloomy clouds encircled it. We would most likely have to find shelter in a few hours.

"Do you like the rain?" Haruka asked suddenly, focusing her dark blue eyes on me as we walked. I had begun to notice how she avoided eye contact with me. Strange.

"Yes." I replied dryly.

"Do you ever respond in more than one word?" she asked rather cheerfully.

"No."

It was then that she began to hum some kind of light tune, hands shoved in the pockets of her cloak and continuing to dancing around me as we walked, as if it were some sort of rain dance.

_This is going to be such a long mission_.

* * *

There you have it, chapter six!~ I hope you liked it, I spent a ton of time on it. It took a while to complete because the notorious writer's block just had to rear its ugly head D:!

Tried switching to Pein's point of view…hopefully nailed his personality. Eh, who knows xD

…Oh Jesus Haruka, stop annoying the dude. xD

And that soap duck…I don't know what I was on when I mentioned that. Guess the chapter still wasn't that serious. GAH. Guess my writing reflects my personality. Oi.

Please review? That button is _so _tempting to push isn't it? Please? :")

Right, I'm gonna post the pen names of all my reviewers again :D Thank you to everyone who reviews, story alerts, or favorites my fic! It really means _**a lot **_to me! Hope this list keeps growing~!

_**Vegan Vampy, 0Kuro Tenshi0, Princess thieves of heart,**__**DuckAnimePerson, Frozen Paint, Origanum Vulgare, Sekaiichihatsukoilov3r, any anonymous reader who reviews :), KoriryuVEX, and Cetacea-of-Time!**_


	7. Guilty Admiration

**Disclaimer: **Don't own…what a shocker. xD

**Word Count: **3,165

Here's the awaited chapter seven~

**Please review, it inspires me and lets me know that you're reading this story :D~**

* * *

Chapter Seven: Guilty Admiration

"C'mon, talk to me!" I blurted out after an hour of complete silence after receiving the most frightening, murderous intent glare from Pein. "I don't understand how you can be so silent. I'm dying on the inside here while you're just merrily walking like there's no one beside you here about to combust."

I was met with more silence.

_Hello silence, I'm Haruka, nice to meet you_, I thought. _Oh Kami, first it was a soap duck, and now silence. Great…_

We had been trudging through the forest for about four hours, remaining on a dirt path that I assumed led to a village or town. I had managed to remain entertained by annoying the hell out of Pein, but that fun had ceased when he began to visibly shake, glaring ahead at the dirt path in front of us. When I had poked his shoulder, he had slowly turned his head to look at me sporting the most menacing, murderous intent glare I had ever seen in my entire life. And believe me; I've received quite a few glares in my whole eighteen years of existence. I cannot stress that enough.

"It's raining." I stated dryly as a raindrop landed on my nose. Pein remained silent.

"Pein."

"Don't address me as that." Pein replied blankly, staring ahead.

"What can I call you then?" I asked innocently, earning myself another glare. No murderous intent this time…just irritation. At least that's a minor improvement.

"Leader." He replied dryly.

"Alright, Pein, when do you think we'll see an inn?" I asked, ignoring his statement.

"I told you not to address me as that." Pein growled, the murderous glint returning to his lavender gray ringed eyes. I cringed inwardly, but decided to push a little further.

"Well, can we negotiate then? Here, I'll give you a list and you say yay or nay." I chirped in my most annoying spontaneous voice. Damn, it's fun to piss this guy off, though I'll probably end up dead in a matter of minutes. My sense of better judgment has been lacking lately.

When Pein didn't respond, but continued to stare ahead as if I were invisible, I started naming possible names off of my list, starting at the top.

"Pein?" I asked. Just one more try.

Since I don't really consider him my leader, I shouldn't have to address him as that. Technically, I'm supposed to be gathering information on him, but frankly, he doesn't trust me at all and probably wants nothing more than to chuck my dead body into a river or something.

_As much as I want to wring his neck, I have to go along with this stupidity act. It's the best I've got_, I thought. _Though I have to consider how the hell I'm going to break down the walls he's put himself in. Maybe stupidity isn't the best approach…but…it's damn fun so I'm going to do it anyway. I can be serious some other time when we're not walking on a boring dirt path. _

"No." The sound of his deep voice tore me away from my thoughts, so I began to list off more names from the list I've been accumulating over this four hour trek.

"Piercings?"

"…No."

That time I was met with a questioning glare, which I decided to disregard.

"Crotch?"

"_What_?"

"Short for crotchety, in which you happen to be constantly." I answered in a matter of fact manner. This statement followed a slight eye twitch from Pein, following that same glare that had scared the shit out of me earlier.

Shuffling a few centimeters away from him, I glanced up at him, and even though I was frightened out the ass, I managed a small, innocent smile, deciding to brown nose him (which in all honesty, brown nosing pisses me off, but hey, I'm in a life or death situation here).

"…Supreme Soon-to-Be Ruler of the World?" I inquired in an angelic voice. This nickname was really just an epiphany moment. The guy's so self-absorbed, plus villains can never think of anything original. It's usually world domination this, world domination that. Seriously people, can you at least attempt to be more original? But who knows, maybe he strives for something other than that. I've yet to ask him, mostly because I'm new to the organization and I just don't believe he trusts me enough to give me a real answer.

"…"

I took that as a long awaited yes.

"Alright, _Supreme Soon-to-Be Ruler of the World_, when do you think we'll manage to reach an inn?" I reworded my inquiry from a few minutes ago, slightly exaggerating his new painfully long nickname.

"I don't know." He replied, tearing his gaze away from mine and staring ahead blankly.

"You're boring, you know that?"

The only reply I received was the sudden downpour of rain.

* * *

_**Pein**_

Four hours of torture. Three hours of Haruka's nonstop chatter…until I decided to show her just how much I wanted to murder her in the form of a glare. Thirty minutes of light rain. Four hours consisting of plotting all of the different methods I could kill her with. I could easily slam her head into that tree. Stab her in the chest with a kunai and burn her body. The thought that was most appealing by far was when I contemplated strangling her. The blood flowing out of her mouth while she writhes and struggles for air…

…Perhaps Madara could let this one slide. He could easily find another replacement.

I pushed the thought out of my mind before I allowed it to happen and glanced up at the gloomy sky. The rain had begun to fall harder, and soon it had become a downpour. I had no complaints though. I've always loved the rain, ironically.

"Supreme Soon-to-Be Ruler of the World! Look! _Look_! An inn! That means that we're probably close to a town!" Haruka screeched suddenly, tugging at the sleeve of my cloak and dragging me forward.

…Now my desire to strangle her has intensified to a dangerously high level.

Despite my morbid desires, I humored her and allowed her to drag me towards a little wooden building, our shoes creating annoying squelching sounds in the mud. The path we had been walking on for four hours messily veered off to the right, where it merged with another dirt (mud) path that led to an inn. The building had a porch, furnished with a few rocking chairs and a table that a Shoji board sat upon.

I glanced at the sign that stood beside the narrow path leading to the inn.

"_Red River Inn_"

Once she had yanked me up the steps of the porch, she continued to drag me through the entrance of the inn and finally releasing me once we had reached the receptionist's desk. I glared at her and glanced at the room that I had been forcefully dragged into.

The reception desk was directly across from the entrance. To the left of the entrance was a fireplace, which was most likely lit, for I could hear soft cackling noises. In front of the fireplace sat two cozy chairs and a rug. There were heads of animals hung upon the walls, along with circular tables and stools on either side of the room.

"We need a room!" Haruka chirped suddenly at the old woman behind the desk who was slouching on a stool and happened to be snoring loudly, head bent back and face looking up towards the ceiling, with some sort of book perched atop her face.

The old woman shot up off of her stool at the sudden exclamation, the book sliding off her face and falling to the floor with a thud. Her dark eyes were wide behind her thick glasses and her gray hair was a mess.

"Sorry! Calm down old lady! We won't hurt you!" Haruka exclaimed while dodging the book the old woman had thrown at her. Despite my irritation at our current situation, I found the whole ordeal to be quite entertaining, smirking slightly when the old lady's eyes darted around wildly.

The old woman paused and sighed as her eyes shrunk to normal size.

"Sorry for um…disturbing you, but we need a room." Haruka stated gently, as to not alarm the old hag again.

The woman's gaze travelled from Haruka to me. Her eyes widened quite a bit as she noticed the piercings, initially almost everyone's reaction. I stared down at her impassively, finding it quite difficult not to glare at the way she scrutinized me.

I felt a sharp jab on my left arm and glanced at Haruka, who was pointing at the smile she was directing towards me. My gaze returned to the old woman, who was still staring at me in some sort of trance. Another jab was directed at my arm, but I chose to ignore it and continued to stare at the old hag. It was actually quite entertaining to watch her frightened face grow even more alarmed when my gaze changed from impassive to glaring.

"Um…lady?" Haruka asked timidly, standing up as tall as she could and leaning towards me to be in the hag's peripheral vision. The lady shook her head and glanced at Haruka, her eyes lighting up like she had just had a very significant epiphany.

"Oh, I see!" The old bat smirked, her gaze travelling from Haruka to me and back. I raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Um…you see what?" Haruka glanced up at me and back at the old hag.

"A room for two coming right up!" The old hag abruptly turned to face the wooden pegs that were jutting out of the wall behind her. On each peg dangled a key under a number that I assumed were the room numbers. She grabbed the key that was labeled "_Room Seven_" and scurried towards the hallway to her left.

"No, no! Hold on lady!" Haruka hurriedly followed after the old woman that was already trudging towards the hallway. I trailed behind them, barely listening to their conversation.

_The organization's financial goals are almost complete_, I thought with satisfaction. _Finally we'll be able to move into the second stage. It's best to start searching for mercenaries…_

"_WHAT? DON'T YOU HAVE TWO _SEPARATE _ROOMS?_"

Haruka's painfully loud voice cut into my thoughts. Her voice had raised about three octaves higher than normal.

"Sorry dear, I believe this is all we have." The old woman smiled apologetically, inserting the key into the door and pushing it open.

I stepped into the room and, to my disappointment, my gaze immediately rested on the only bed in the room. It was a queen sized bed, clad with crimson sheets. Next to it stood a simple nightstand with a white lamp. There was a door to the right of the room, which I assumed was a bathroom.

"This room is fine, thank you." I stated dryly, turning to the old hag and dropping the required amount of money into her outstretched hand. She stared at me skeptically and in turn handed me the key to the room.

"Bu-" Haruka started to protest, but the old hag had already darted back to the reception desk.

_There's something peculiar about that old bag…_

* * *

_**Haruka**_

"I call bed!" I exclaimed, hopping onto the bed, not giving a damn that my clothes were soaked and the sheets were probably ruined now. I was immediately swept away into the soft fabric of the crimson sheets. I closed my eyes and was almost, _almost_, about to fall into a comfortable slumber when I felt myself lifted from the cozy paradise and dumped face first onto the icy, wooden floor.

"What the _hell_ was that for?" I growled, glaring daggers at Pein who was now lying where I had been thirty seconds ago, arms folded behind his head and those bizarre eyes of his glancing blankly down at me.

"You sleep on the floor." Pein muttered, tossing an extra pillow at me, which hit me square in the face.

"No way! _You _sleep on the floor!" I protested while catching the pillow and chucking it back at him. Just because he's "leader" doesn't mean he has the right to claim the only bed in the room. I won't stand for that; I'll protest all night if I have to.

"Fine, sleep on the floor with no pillow." Pein said wryly, closing his eyes.

I glared daggers at him, but then bolted upright as I had a sudden epiphany.

I began to crawl over to the other side of the bed, dragging my pillow along with me and smirking sinisterly. _Ha! He won't notice…I'm pretty sure he's asleep right about now… _I thought, slowly raising my head to peek over the mattress at him.

His eyes were still shut, chest rising and falling evenly, and, wait, _what_? _Is that a facial expression I see?_ _Oh ho ho! Finally, some sort of emotion! _I thought, proud of myself, though I knew I was certainly not the cause for that small smirk. Despite the smirk and the piercings, he looked so peaceful like that, like a child, and less like the "Supreme Soon-to-Be Ruler of the World" he usually symbolized.

I shook my head and climbed up onto the bed, satisfied that he hadn't noticed. I was about to do a mini victory dance when Pein opened one eye and glared at me.

"_HOLY SHIT!_" I screeched, stumbling backwards and tumbled off of the bed, landing right on my ass. "Dammit, Pein! You really need to warn people when you decide that you're gonna scare the shit out of them!" Guess I was the cause of that smirk. He knew I'd try something.

"Not my fault. You're the one who decided to disregard my order and attempt to sleep on the bed." Pein growled, though for a split second, a glint of amusement flashed through the one eye he had open, but it disappeared as fast as it had appeared. I noticed how he didn't chew me out for calling him Pein. I fought back an amused victory smirk and stared pleadingly at him, silently beseeching him to allow me to sleep on the bed.

"Pein?" I inquired, my voice serious for the first time in a while. He glanced blankly at my perch on the floor (still only one of his eyes was open). "What are the goals of the Akatsuki? I mean, I have my own reasons for joining the organization, but what are its motives, what's in it for me?" I inched closer towards the bed, still holding his gaze.

"Your personal desires will be fulfilled once the Akatsuki's goals are achieved." Pein answered, his gaze locked with mine.

"What are the Akatsuki's goals?" I asked again, my curiosity peaked, and for once my inquiry had nothing to do with my mission.

"There is a three step process leading up to this goal," Pein replied, watching me as I inched even closer to the bed, now resting my arms on top of the mattress. "The first step is to gain large quantities of money to support our organization," I nodded, leaning towards him, eyes full of curiosity, "The second step is to set up a mercenary group that is loyal only to us. We will build our reputation by accepting any mission that is below the usual cost of a Shinobi village, and operate off of the funds we accumulated in the first step."

"But how would that work?" I inquired, slightly confused. Wouldn't that be like creating a new Shinobi village? What good would that do? By now I had made it on top of the bed, perched on the very edge, afraid that he'd push me off or something.

"Shinobi villages operate off of war. Whoever hires the service of a Shinobi village gains the support of the village that they've hired. The Shinobi village takes part in the small war siding with their client and, in turn, are paid a high price for their assistance. But if the Akatsuki step in, offering our aid for a lower price, who do you believe the client would turn to? The fact that there hasn't been war in quite some time now, the Shinobi villages are forced to charge more for their aid, while the we can afford to charge lower prices because of the money we've accumulated." Pein replied, watching me as I shuffled closer towards him from the edge of the bed and placed my pillow at the top of the bed.

_So this is what they're up to_, I thought, slightly impressed. _The plan is actually pretty genius so far. Never would I have thought of that._

"I understand now, go on." I replied, now lying on my back and staring at the ceiling.

"The third step is when the tailed beasts come into play. With their power, we would begin numerous wars and quell them at will, forcing the smaller villages to depend only upon the Akatsuki, completely cutting off the Shinobi villages' source of income. With our organization being the only Shinobi in existence, we could easily conquer all of the other countries." Pein continued as I fought to suppress my dread.

"…Resulting in world domination." I finished his explanation, terror pulsing through me, but no hint of my emotions squeezed into my statement.

This plan is genius. This plan is almost foolproof. Lady Tsunade needs to be informed right away, but how would I escape him?

_In addition to that_, I thought, to my absolute horror, _I find myself admiring this plan. It's completely genius, every step well thought out and everything. Pulling the strings on the affairs of the world would be nice…_

I pushed these troublesome thoughts out of my head, aghast at my sudden admiration. How could I admire a plan so sinister? Maybe it was just because of the genius of it all. That's all it was. Just the well thought out part of it impressed me. Nothing more.

_Denial. You know you've always had hidden ambitions, with the Akatsuki, those could be fulfilled. Maybe if you controlled the world, there would be peace_… A tiny voice in the back of my head whispered. I immediately pushed it away and focused all of my attention on the ceiling.

Our conversation had been extremely quiet, probably because Pein didn't want any outsiders of the Akatsuki informed on their plans.

Suddenly the lamp, that had been the only source of light in the little room, was turned off and darkness engulfed the room. We sat in lay in silence for about thirty minutes, and I wondered if Pein was asleep yet. I glanced over at him, and since I've always had surprising, slightly nocturnal vision, I could see that his eyes were still open. Well, somewhere in our conversation he had opened both eyes.

"Pein?" I asked suddenly.

"What."

"I win."

"…Tch."

* * *

Gah, finally completed chapter seven! Took a while, surprisingly got inspiration in the morning, oddly enough. :D

Anywho, school is starting back up soon and I won't be able to update as much as I would like to. I'll probably have piles of homework (which I'll probably ignore and then get a bad grade on. I usually do that, mostly with math and then my best friend will probably nag me about…DON'T DENY IT, YOU KNOW YOU WILL), plus with inspiration currently appearing only at night, I don't know how I'll make this work. But I promise I will because I really want to complete this story. :)

Lol, I swear Pein will end up murdering Haruka xD.

Anyways, didn't get any new reviewers. :( Ah well, thanks to the ones who keep up with this story and review :) And to anyone who story alerts or favorites :D

A big thanks to the people who have reviewed! :"D:

_**Vegan Vampy, 0Kuro Tenshi0, Princess thieves of heart,**__**DuckAnimePerson, Frozen Paint, Origanum Vulgare, Sekaiichihatsukoilov3r, any anonymous reader who reviews :), KoriryuVEX, and Cetacea-of-Time!**_

Please review, it lets me know that you're reading the story~


	8. False Assumptions

**Disclaimer: **Don't own~

**Word Count: **3,910

I'm back :D

7 reviews for the last chapter? I LOVE YOU GUYS :D REALLY, I DO :)

What? It isn't Wednesday and I'm actually updating. Weird.

Annnyywaayys, gee, school is getting so close to starting D: Which means I'll probably only be able to write on weekends and updates will take longer. D:

Anyways, here's chapter Eight~~ Oh and always remember to review :D It brightens my day, really…~

* * *

_Chapter Eight: False Assumptions with a Side of Strawberry Ice-Cream_

_**Haruka**_

The next morning I awoke to the light chirping of birds. I opened my eyes to find myself pressed up against Pein's side, one arm splayed out on top of his stomach.

_SHIT! SHIT! HOLY SHIT! HOW THE HELL DID THIS HAPPEN? _I inwardly cringed, taking a reluctant, deep breath, and gently lifted my arm off of him. Before I could detach myself from him though, that stupid little voice in the back of my head had to resurface. It always does this during the most inconvenient situations.

…_You know this is actually pretty cozy. _I banished the tiny voice out of my mind and was about to scoot away from Pein when I realized that the voice had been right. It _is_ pretty warm. I lay there for a few more minutes but then scowled at my stupidity and scurried off of the bed. An S-ranked criminal _cozy_? Ha.

Faint sunlight shined into the room through the slightly dirty window, and for a moment I contemplated moving over to pull the curtains aside to allow some of the slightly obscured sunlight to shine directly through the window.

_We're about to leave. I'll just leave the curtains intact_, I thought indolently.

I trotted over to Pein's side of the bed and stared down at him. _Damn I feel like a creep_, I thought, snickering slightly at the thought. He was still lying in the exact same position as he had last night, his arms crossed behind his head. The only difference was the facial expression, which had transformed from a smirk to a small, genuine smile. The smile made him look so peaceful and innocent, like he's not the evil mastermind behind an immoral criminal organization. You have to admire the guy though; he has to deal with Hidan. Even though I only knew him for a few hours, he acted like a real pain in the ass.

My stomach suddenly growled and I remembered that I hadn't eaten anything since that bag of chips yesterday. I sighed and glanced at Pein. I almost didn't want to wake him up. Almost.

I reluctantly poked his arm and plastered that goofy, fake smile on my face. Though I vaguely realized that it had grown more genuine.

"What." He muttered, opening one eye to look at me.

"I'm hungry and we need to find the six tails." I chirped, tugging at his arm.

I can't believe I just suggested that we find the six tails. In fact, I should be delaying the capturing of the tailed beast. _You're an Akatsuki now, it's your job._ That damn tiny voice is starting to grow louder every time I hear it. I banished it yet again and froze as I processed what the hell it had just told me.

I am _not_ an Akatsuki. This is just part of the mission, nothing more, nothing less. I would never join a band of criminals striving for world domination, no matter how much I would love to pull the strings on the affairs of the world.

Pein slid off of the bed and walked towards the door to our room. I trailed behind him and snatched my messenger bag from beside of the bed, whistling a tune I used to hear my brother whistle frequently.

What would my brother think if he knew that I joined the Akatsuki? Yes, this is just for a mission, but what if I actually _joined _them? As in, carry out all of the missions assigned to me, capture the tailed beasts so they can be used to cause mass destruction, and help aid what would probably be the obliteration of the world? He would be disgusted. He gave everything he had for Konoha, and then to have to witness, from wherever he may be, his little sister who he loved more than anything turn around and join the organization that would just bring annihilation to the village and its people? More than disgusted, he would be absolutely repulsed.

Then there was that pesky dream…

What does it mean? Why did it portray my brother's death? I don't believe I'll ever receive the answer to those questions. It could've just been a dream, nothing more. But somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew it was more than just a mere dream. If it has some significant meaning, then I _will_ discover the message behind it all.

"Departing so soon, dearie?"

The old woman's voice cut into my thoughts, successfully snapping me out of my reverie. My head shot up as I realized I had been staring at the ground, apparently following Pein subconsciously. I looked up at him, who glanced at me and raised a questioning eyebrow. I shook my head in a feeble attempt to clear it and glanced at the old woman who was now smiling warmly at me.

"Have fun last night?" She asked, shooting me some kind of smug smirk.

"You know it!" I shouted, but then contemplated what she had just implied. _Wait…does she think that…that we…_

My eyes tripled in size and I stared at her in horror, which only seemed to make her smirk increase in size.

"_NO! YOU OLD HAG! WE WERE _NOT_ SEXING IT UP IN THERE!_" I screeched, snatching the keys from Pein's hand (I noticed how my fingers grazed his hand that was actually pretty soft but at this time that little discovery doesn't really matter) and chucking them right at the old hag's face. It smacked precisely into the middle of her forehead, and when they fell, there was an imprint shaped like a key right in the spot I aimed for. That'll teach her some manners.

I glanced up at Pein. He didn't seem to be affected at all, albeit his skin was slightly paler than normal and there was a barely conspicuous blush, but despite that, he seemed perfectly fine.

Without even so much as glancing at the old hag, I grabbed Pein's arm and yanked him out of the inn, all while various objects and profanities were being tossed at our retreating backs.

* * *

_**Pein**_

After being yanked out of the inn by a very disturbed Haruka and returning to the dirt path we had travelled on all afternoon yesterday, we had left behind an extremely angry, destructive old hag in our wake.

"Can you believe that hag?" Haruka huffed, crossing her arms and glaring at the ground. I smirked at the slight blush tainting her cheeks, but remained silent, my gaze returning to the path in front of us.

Apparently I'm not making my desire to murder her blatant enough.

"I mean, with her attitude, I bet she's an eighty year old vir-" she suddenly cut off and a huge grin lit up her face, "Look Pein! A _town_! _Finally_!"

I sighed when she darted ahead of me towards the entrance of the town. A few seconds later she was back by my side and tugging at my sleeve yet again.

"Slow down." I growled, glaring at her, which successfully slowed her movements.

"C'mon, I'm _starving_. Ya know, sometimes I don't even think you're human." She complained, but then immediately began bouncing up and down when we reached the entrance of the town. Beside of the entrance was a sign that read, "_Welcome to Kau._"

Immediately we were met by a bustling crowd filled with people practically fighting each other to reach whatever stall that had caught their attention. The dirt path we had been walking on was a messy zigzag that led straight through the middle of the small town, each side of the path held a stall that sold specific merchandise and, if my assumption was correct, broke off in three other directions once one miraculously managed to survive the mass of people and reach the middle of the town.

"Kau? Never heard of this place," Haruka said conversationally, her grin even wider than before as her gaze swept over the massive crowd, "Have you?"

"It's a town that thrives from trade," I answered plainly, "It's beside of the ocean so there are many imports and exports from other countries."

"So that means we're headed to where you believe the six tails jinchuuriki is residing…the Land of Waves?" She asked, and for the first time since we departed from the hideout, her tone was somber. I spared a quick glimpse at her and almost immediately her dark blue eyes locked with mine, albeit they lacked the usual zest. She was smiling, but not even a hint of that smile reached her eyes, the dark blue depths filled with anxiety and sadness. The mass population of civilians around me had completely disappeared as I gazed down into the blue depths of her eyes.

I was astonished to find that I was vaguely curious as to why she was anxious. Normally I'd enjoy (I'd even goes as far as to say I'd be ecstatic) to watch her suffer, but I found it quite odd that her normal enthusiasm (much like that of Tobi's) from just two minutes ago had vanished, replaced by apprehension and a hint of sorrow.

It was fairly easy for us to weave through the crowd, despite the lack of attention to the road in front of us, for most of the civilians avoided me. They took one glimpse of my piercings, odd color of my irises, and rings that receded from my pupils due to the rinnegan, and automatically tended to avoid me.

"…Yes." I responded, repressing the curiosity from my voice.

Haruka remained silent, staring emotionlessly at the massive crowd in front of us that lead through the small town. I reveled in the absence of Haruka's painfully irritating voice, though I wasn't entirely satisfied with the silence. Though I despise almost everything about Haruka (everything aside from her mastery of water style jutsu and quick thinking), I had grown accustomed to her excessive chatter and fowl mouth. I contemplated breaking the silence, but quickly scowled at the thought of allowing my curiosity to get the best of me. I have a mission to accomplish.

I'd have to speak with some of the Akatsuki's associates that reside here to gain knowledge on the whereabouts of the six tails. If they know nothing, perhaps I'd have to squeeze the answers out of the townspeople…

"Pein?" She asked suddenly, staring up at me with pleading eyes.

"What." I replied starkly.

"I'm _starving_," she complained, standing as tall as she could to peer above the flood of people surrounding us, "_OH MY KAMI! I HAVEN'T HAD THAT IN _YEARS_!_" I felt her fingers wrap around my arm for the fourth time since we set off on the mission (in an instant of pure boredom, I had devised a deal with myself that by the end of the journey, she would have tugged at my sleeve precisely twenty times), tugging me through the crowd and towards a little stall that was deserted except for a miniscule crowd of children accompanied by their parents.

"Good afternoon! What can I get for you?" A young woman, looking to be in her mid-twenties, greeted Haruka, shooting her a gentle smile. The sound of children's laughter, along with their parents, rang out around the stall as I feebly attempted to block out the view of the joyful families.

"Two…no…make it three scoops of chocolate ice cream on a sugar cone!" Haruka chirped at the woman, who smiled politely back at her and lifted the lid to the stall's built in freezer.

"Anything I can get for your boyfriend?"

I grimaced as, again, that assumption resurfaced. What is with these people and their swooning over unnecessary romance? It's becoming mandatory for me to begin expressing my intention of eventually murdering her more often.

"He is _not _my _boyfriend_!" Haruka growled, but then followed the woman's gaze to her hand that was still gripping my forearm. A deep blush formed on her cheeks and she quickly released her grip and turned back towards the woman, muttering "Three scoops of strawberry ice cream on a waffle cone."

"_How the hell did she know_" was basically the first thought that flashed through my mind. I haven't eaten ice cream in years, and yet she basically hypothesized my favorite flavor in a matter of seconds. I eyed her suspiciously as she practically yanked the ice cream out of the woman's hand and offered my ice cream to me with a wide, toothy smile. I accepted the offer and glared at it reluctantly.

"Thank you!" Haruka beamed at the woman, and then turned to me, grinning sheepishly. "…Money?"

I glared daggers at her, but reached into my pocket and pulled out the required amount to pay for our ice cream, dropping the money into the woman's hand, who smiled brightly at me. No use in blowing our cover by avoiding paying for ice cream.

I turned to find Haruka already finished with her first scoop, her mouth and cheeks slathered with chocolate ice cream.

"…Never speak of this." I growled, reluctantly licking the creamy treat and glaring Hell fire at the girl smiling triumphantly beside of me. Though I would never admit it, I was silently savoring this ice cream.

"Mm…" She sighed, staring hungrily at the single scoop that remained atop her cone. I wasn't exactly certain if that was the answer to my order or a warning to the ice cream she was about to devour.

"I knew you'd like strawberry," she stated suddenly, shrugging slightly and her smile brightening, "Cause most people would guess that you'd like chocolate, ya know, what people assume is a manly flavor, when damn, the flavor doesn't even matter. Idiots. So anyway, I picked the opposite because your reaction is just hilarious, plus, I just got a feeling that that's what you'd like."

"…Tch."

Perhaps strangulation was not the best method of murdering her, but rather shoving the whole cone into her throat would be a more pleasurable experience.

As I contemplated this, my gaze trailed over to a building that was obscured by trees and would appear to be abandoned to the average civilian, but I knew that within the basement of the building lay a collection office, with the head of the office a loyal Akatsuki associate. I veered off of the path, weaving through the crowd, knowing that Haruka would subconsciously follow even if her attention was diverted from me.

"Where are we going?" She inquired, glancing up at me with eyes full of curiosity. I decided to ignore her inquiry.

Once we had reached the shed unnoticed, I shoved what was left of my cone into my mouth and pushed the door to the collection office open and was immediately met with musty air and a dirt covered floor. I disregarded the filthy surroundings and trudged towards the crate in the very back of the room that contained a button that would immediately slide the left wall out, all while Haruka bounced energetically around me.

* * *

_**Haruka**_

Wherever the hell Pein had led me, I didn't know, but it certainly wasn't very enticing. Dusty, wooden crates filled the room, piled messily on top of each other all the way to the ceiling. The floors were caked with dust, dirt, and I didn't even want to _know _what that reeking brown stuff is in the far left hand corner.

I trailed reluctantly behind Pein and watched in awe as the door to the crate crashed to the ground, Pein never moving a muscle.

"Holy shit, how'd you do that?" I breathed as he entered the crate and pressed some sort of tiny button that was located in one of the corners of the wooden box.

_How the hell did he do that? Did he use a jutsu? Obviously. But I didn't see him form any hand signs…damn. He's either just that fast or…some kind of damn god. Yep, there are no other explanations, except for maybe those eyes of his are for more than just decoration…_

I almost jumped to the ceiling when the wall to the left of me glided to the side to be replaced by a large, dark tunnel. When I peered harder into the tunnel, I could barely distinguish the dark shape of stairs leading further down into the basement.

"Pein…you sir…are a god." I stated dryly, trailing slowly behind him as he stepped through the opening the sliding wall had created.

"I know."

Of course that statement squeezed a reply out of him. I wonder how the hell he can savor strawberry ice cream and simultaneously manage to be the criminal mastermind behind an extremely dangerous organization. I banished the thought from my mind before I could remember that he _is _the leader of a criminal organization and that I've been assigned to spy on him. There's more to Pein than the Akatsuki, all I have to do is squeeze it out of him.

_Easier said than done_, I thought, grunting at my stupidity. _But there's no time for that, I've been assigned a mission and dammit, no matter how interesting Pein may be, I have to achieve the goal of my mission. I will find out all of the Akatsuki's secrets, even if it kills me…which it probably will. _

I was snapped out of my reverie by the sudden tension that hung in the air like fog. I shook my head to clear my thoughts, and stared at the room in front of us.

The room was actually fairly clean, but only if you compared it to the room we had just left behind. Directly across from where Pein and I are standing sat a dusty wooden desk that a man with many scars was perched behind, smoking a cigar and gaping at Pein's sudden appearance, fear flashing through his gaze. A thick mustache hung limply on his lip and his long black hair hung in a curtain around his face. To the left of the man at the desk was a light green couch with a few potted plants sitting atop of the coffee table that sat in front of it. There were three other men present in the room, standing on either side of the man smoking the cigar. I almost laughed at their horrified expressions, but managed to contain my hysterics by picturing Konoha.

I wonder what Naruto's up to…probably on some mission or devouring five bowls of ramen at a time. I smiled at the memory of eating ramen with Naruto, me on my first bowl and Naruto on his fifth…

"P-Pein, what are you doing here?"

A nervous squeak erupted from the man with the cigar, and all thoughts of Konoha shattered as I began to laugh hysterically at the pitch of his voice. Damn, he sounded like a freakin bird! You never know a guy until they come face to face with a criminal mastermind.

"What?" The man roared, glaring daggers at me from behind the desk, smoke from his cigar swirling around him.

"I don't want to piss you off or anything, but shit, you sound like a freakin bird. I love your voice man." I complimented him, laughing my ass off and leaning on Pein for support.

"You making fun of me?" The man growled, standing up and slamming his palms down on his desk, dust flying everywhere from his sudden disturbance on his desk.

_Damn, I thought he'd be flattered…_

"I just gave you a compliment you asswipe!" I shouted at the man, ceasing my hysterics and glaring at the atrocious coward in front of me.

"Haruka." Pein growled at me and then turned his attention to the men across from us. Just his gaze, though it was calm, was enough to shut the man up. He immediately plopped down in his chair and fixed a questioning look at Pein.

"This a new member? She ain't very bright." The man scowled, glaring daggers at me.

"Oh shut up! Like you're any better!" I shot back, prancing over to his desk, grabbing the cigar out of his mouth, and chucking it to the floor. This guy's really starting to piss me off, and I'd probably regret this later for when Pein destroys me for beating the life out of his source of intelligence.

The man's eyes went wide, but then narrowed in fury as he swung his fist towards my face. I caught the fist and began to squeeze it, listening to the popping of his bones.

"Release him." Pein stated calmly. I glanced to my right to see him standing behind the desk beside of me. _Damn he's fast._ I reluctantly released the man's hand, watching him clench it and unclench it, probably testing to see if anything was broken.

"Why're you here?" The man asked Pein, rubbing his knuckles and glaring Hell fire at me. I smiled innocently at him.

"Tell me any information you know regarding the six tail jinchuuriki." Pein basically ordered, fixing his deathly calm gaze on the now terrified man. I had to admit, when he gazes calmly at you, it feels like you're being pinned to the spot. Almost as creepy as his death glare.

"The six tails, eh?" The man took his sweet time, a thoughtful look on his face as he pulled out a little book from his desk and began flipping through the pages. He ceased the flipping of pages once he had flicked through almost half of the book that I recognized as the Hidden Mist Village's bingo book. The man pointed to a page that contained a picture of a young man, looking about my age, with brown hair that extended a little ways past his chin on one side and shorter on the other. His eyes were brown and he wore a blue robe. I checked below the picture to see that his name is Utakata.

_So this is the man I have to help capture and…_I clenched my fists at the thought.

"I hear that he's running from the ANBU. He was last spotted a few miles away from Mount Katsuragi." The man looked fairly proud of himself as Pein turned and trudged back towards the tunnel. I took once last glance at the men, who sighed in relief, and reluctantly followed Pein out of the tunnel, the wall sliding back into place behind us.

"So we're headed towards Mount Katsuragi now?" I asked energetically, deciding to just forget about the whole incident with the man back in the basement.

"Yes." He replied starkly, weaving his way around the trees and back onto a dirt path that weaved in a different direction through town. Apartments and little cottages loomed on either side of the street and children were playing beside of the path, laughing and chasing each other in a game of tag whilst their parents talked softly to each other, smiling and watching their children.

I attempted to ignore the happy families, while Pein stared intently at the path in front of us, eyes never straying over to the children.

Memories of games of playing ninja (well, he was _actually_ a ninja) with my brother flooded through my mind. I shook my head, feebly attempting to ignore the memories and focus on my mission.

"…Pein?" I inquired after a few minutes of silently trudging past the children and parents.

"Hm." He replied lazily, obviously lost thought.

"Can we get more ice cream?"

"No."

* * *

End of chapter eight~! Who knew that ice cream flavors could be so symbolic? Heh heh

Please review~ :) !

Thank you to all my reviewers and story favoriters ! :D You guys inspire me to write :) !

_**Theta-McBride, katchile94, KoriryuVEX, Vegan Vampy, 0Kuro Tenshi0, Princess thieves of heart,**__**DuckAnimePerson, Frozen Paint, Origanum Vulgare, Sekaiichihatsukoilov3r, any anonymous reader who reviews :), KoriryuVEX, and Cetacea-of-Time!**_


	9. The Good 'Ol Days

**Disclaimer: **I don't own on every day that ends with 'y'. Fooey.

**Word Count: **2,154

Ah gee, you guys are wonderful. x) THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS! They really and truly brighten my day :) Sorry if I take so long to reply to you xD I check my email on my iPod and then when I get on the computer I always forget to reply. I should really stop doing that. X3

School starts Tuesday D: So this'll probably be one of my last regular updates, but I promise I'll write nonstop on weekends, or when I have free time from the boatloads of homework xD

Yes, I will have no life. xD

Anyways, please review and here is le chapter nine~

Oh, and if I get five reviews, I'll more than likely update quicker~ :D

XXX

Chapter Nine: The Good 'Ol Days

_**Pein**_

"Pein?"

I felt a sharp tug at my left arm, followed by a voice that I had grown slowly accustomed to due to her constant chatter. We had been walking for five hours since we had departed from the collection office, and the sun was just beginning set in the horizon. We had veered off of the familiar dirt path for the purpose of discovering a place to stay for the night and had come across a small cave.

"What." I answered, uninterested, and peered into the cave before us. No signs of life. I stepped into the cave with Haruka trailing closely behind me.

"Is Pein your real name? 'Cause ya know, it feels like every time I say "Pein", I'm informing you that I'm in pain. Pein. Get it? Oh Kami I'm confused." Haruka sighed, but then glanced up at me and smiled.

'_Should I tell _her' was the first thought that popped up in my mind. I was confused as to why I would even consider telling her the truth of who I really am. The answer is obviously no, though a part of me that I refused to acknowledge desired to at least tell her my real name.

"…That is none of your concern." I muttered dryly as we simultaneously plopped down onto the cold cave floor. I ran a finger over it. Smooth. No crevices, no obstructions. I continued to stare incredulously at the floor, completely aware that we had walked into a trap.

"Pein."

"I know."

_**Naruto**_

It had been only two hours since Captain Yamato, Kakashi-sensei, Hinata, Shino, Kiba, Sakura, Sai, and I had returned from our mission to retrieve Sasuke, that had ended as yet another failed attempt.

_But I'm not about to give up. I made a promise to Sakura that I'd bring Sasuke back, and I plan to stick to my word because that's my ninja way…_

I've been roaming the streets of Konoha for two hours now, searching for my best friend, staring at the faces of the passing villagers, none of which belonged to her.

_She'd never break a promise, but it's strange how her apartment looked as if it hadn't been touched for days. I wonder where she could be…_

"Hey Naruto!"

I recognized the familiar voice of Sakura. I glanced up to see her racing towards me, one hand in the air, waving. I slapped on a humungous grin, which she quickly returned once she had stopped abruptly in front of me.

"Sakura! Have you seen Haruka anywhere? She promised me we'd get some ramen at Ichiraku's once we got back from our mission." I flashed a nervous grin, knowing that Sakura despises Haruka, albeit I have no clue why. I'm pretty sure those ice cubes ending up in her pants were an accident.

"No you idiot! You know how I feel about her!" Sakura snapped, landing a harsh punch on top of my head. "Oh, and Lady Tsunade wants to see us. I believe we've been assigned a new mission."

"Ow, S-Sakura! I seriously don't get why you don't like her," I muttered, rubbing the spot where her fist connected with my head, "I mean seriously, if it's about those ice cubes…"

_SLAM! _

Her fist introduced itself to my jaw, and I felt myself fly halfway across Konoha, leaving a trail of disturbed dirt in my wake as I tumbled right towards the steps of the Hokage building.

"…_DON'T MENTION THAT! IT WASN'T AN ACCIDENT AND YOU KNOW IT!_" I scrambled backwards towards the steps of the Hokage mansion, ignoring the searing pain in my jaw, my eyes enormous and staring up at the pink haired, raging Sakura. Her green eyes twitched with irritation and I prepared for a gloved hand to crash into my face again. "_YOU WERE LAUGHING WITH HER!_"

"S-Sakura! It was an accident, I swear!" I stuttered, staring up into the blazing green eyes. "I mean, we were only laughing because she'd spilled ramen on…your…oh boy." I sweat dropped as I felt the temperature of the air around us heat up about twenty degrees as Sakura's face twisted into a horrifying, manic smile. My eyes grew even wider, if that was even possible, and I commenced the counting of how many seconds it would take for all Hell to break lose and her fist to connect with my face again.

"Naruto," Sakura uttered my name in a deathly calm voice. "I'll give you five seconds to _GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME BEFORE I GRIND YOU TO BITS YOU IDIOT!_"

I wasted no time. I scrambled to my feet and pelted through the doors leading into the Hokage building, screaming apologies to Sakura all the way up to Grandma's Tsunade's office, bursting through the door and twitching as Sakura stomped towards me.

"I'm sorry Sakura! That ramen complimented your look nicely!" I shouted, flailing my arms as she began thrashing me around by the collar of my jacket.

"_WHAT'D YOU SAY?!_"

"_I'M SORRY SAKURA!_"

I hadn't noticed that Captain Yamato and Sai was in the room until I heard one of them clear their throat. Sakura's head shot up and her face heated to a shade of pink once she noticed that Grandma Tsunade was staring at us with an intense gaze. Sakura immediately released me and smiled awkwardly at Grandma Tsunade, her face matching the color of her hair.

…Some serious shit's about to go down.

"Now, the reason why I've called you here is that I need to send you on an emergency mission." Grandma Tsunade commanded, her hands clasped in front of her lips. My eyes lit up at the mentioning of an emergency mission.

"An emergency mission?" I asked while leaning forward, my eyes shining.

"Yes, Naruto. I've heard news of an infiltration at the fort at Mount Katsuragi, where there is a forbidden jutsu being kept under close watch by the Tsuchigumo clan. This forbidden jutsu must be protected at all costs, for it has the ability to destroy an entire village. You are to venture to Mount Katsuragi and aid in maintaining the safety of the forbidden jutsu. You leave immediately." Lady Tsunade ordered.

"Understood." Captain Yamato answered, turning to walk out of Grandma Tsunade's office, followed by Sakura and Sai.

"Hold on, Grandma Tsunade! Before I go on this mission, I need to know one thing. Where is Haruka? Is she on some kind of mission?" I demanded, leaning forward in anticipation.

"I guess there's no use in keeping it from you," Grandma Tsunade sighed, leaning back in her chair. "Haruka is on a mission to spy on the Akatsuki."

"_WHAT?_" I shouted, vaguely aware that I was trudging closer to her desk.

"I had no choice. She was the only available ninja for the mission, plus the perfect Shinobi for the job anyway. With her unique expertise in deception and tracking, this is an ideal mission for her. Now quit your blubbering!" Grandma Tsunade snapped, glaring at me from behind clasped hands.

"But you sent her _alone_!" I growled, my hand slamming against the top of her desk.

"Naruto, she accepted the mission without hesitation." Shizune cut in, placing a few papers on Grandma Tsunade's desk. Before that statement, I hadn't even noticed that Shizune was present in the room, but that didn't matter at the time.

"She could get hurt out there! I'm going after her!" I shouted, my mind already dead set on bringing Haruka back to the village.

"No you most certainly will not! That will defeat the whole purpose of the mission!" Grandma Tsunade shouted and then sighed, followed by a sudden, intense gaze. "You know as well as I do that the risks are certainly high, but you know that she is more than capable of handling this mission. You are forbidden to search for Haruka. The Akatsuki are already after you and we cannot afford another tailed beast to fall into their possession."

"But…" I muttered, my gaze downcast at Grandma Tsunade's desk, "…I can't afford to have someone close to me ripped away again…" My gaze shot back up to meet Grandma Tsunade's, taking on a sudden intensity.

"Naruto, I am fully aware of your feelings for Haruka," Grandma Tsunade replied, her eyes softening. "But right now, she is on a mission that we cannot interfere with. If the Akatsuki figure out that she is on a reconnaissance mission, then her life will be in jeopardy. That is a risk that we must avoid at all costs. Besides, I know you have faith in your best friend. You and I both know that she will be fine. Now, focus on the mission at hand."

_Once we complete this mission, I'm going after her. Grandma Tsunade can't stop me!_

"…Fine." I muttered, following Sai out of the office.

The sun was just dipping below the carved out faces of the current and past Hokage, the same rock faces that Haruka and I would dump paint and draw stupid doodles on just to piss off our Academy teachers. The schemes would never end too well, mostly because Iruka always knew who exactly was behind the whole mess, chase us for a good half an hour, and finally reprimand us by shouting in our faces and forcing us to clean whatever we had messed up.

I grinned widely at the memory as Yamato, Sakura, Sai, and I sprinted out of the village gate, heading in some random direction that I assumed was towards Mount Katsuragi.

Back when I had first met Haruka, we were both ignored by our classmates and practically everyone around us, which is what led to such a strong friendship between us.

XXX

"_Look at that boy. He's so alone."_

"_Serves him right!"_

I didn't understand what it felt like to have a friend, someone who would always be there for you and defend you during hard times.

"_Stay away from him, he's nothing but trouble."_

…Until I met Haruka.

_I sighed, plopping down in the wooden swing next to the Academy. I watched my fellow classmates goof around, playing tag and other games that I'm never invited to join. It's was almost sunset and the sky had adopted a pink and crimson tint, which means that their parents would be picking them up soon._

_And I would walk home._

_Alone._

"_Hey kid! You're in my spot…" I glanced up from my perch on the wooden swing to see a girl that looked about two years older than me with auburn hair and blue eyes glaring down at me. She had faltered upon recognizing my face, the boy who's always shunned. _

_I glared up at her._

"_What do you mean 'your spot'?" I shot back, scowling. She's probably just like the rest of them, though she has lasted longer than the rest, who would usually get yanked away from me by their parents. But this girl is completely alone. "I've never seen you here!"_

"_I suppose I've seen you here quite a few times…but…I can't remember your name. What was it? Narusi…Naruwe…Narutard…" She giggled at the last guess, but continued to stare at me thoughtfully, when suddenly she snapped her fingers and shot me a huge grin. "…Naruto! That's it!"_

"_That's right! My name is Naruto Uzumaki! I'm gonna be Hokage someday!" I exclaimed, leaping up from my perch on the swing and grinning widely at the girl. _

_Maybe I'll finally have someone to talk to. Maybe I'll finally have a friend!_

"_My name's Haruka! And I hear you're a real pain in the ass!" She beamed. I scowled at her last statement, but then my eyes widened when I spotted that she had held out a hand. My grin returned, even wider than before as we shook hands. _

"_You know, I don't understand why everyone avoids you," Haruka's smiled faded and her gaze trailed to the ground. "See, I'm ignored too, but I dunno why that is…"_

"_You're…ignored too?" I asked, my eyes wide. _

_This girl…she's just like me._

"_Yeah, but I dunno why. I've never done anything to them…" She answered, her gaze taking on one of pure determination. "But, that's what makes you and me alike! We teach them not to overlook us! We're just as important as them!"_

"_My thoughts exactly! Believe it!" I shouted. _

_She smirked, turning to head towards the unsuspecting spot where we would make our signature debut as a team consisting of a shunned boy and a shunned girl. _

…_The following day the Third-Hokage awakened to find the Hokage building egged and completely covered in doodles of my sexy jutsu. _

XXX

Ever since that day Haruka and I had been inseparable, making the Academy teacher's lives a living Hell, with Iruka being the only one who actually cared for us.

I watched the last rays of the setting sun fade into darkness, a small smiling forming at the memory.

_She'll be alright._

XXX

And there you have it~ Not an eventful chapter but…all that'll come with the next one :) Which I will probably obsessively work on later today if I have the inspiration~ Cause you know, since I get inspiration at night most of the time, I'm posting this at 4 A.M.

Manly POV's LOL. This chapter was mainly to give you an idea of how Haruka met Naruto and such. Heh heh~ Next chapter it'll be Haruka's~

I should really go to bed.

But eh.

And sorry I didn't post the reviewers on the last chapter, my brain was kinda fried. And it still is. Yay.

Thanks for reading and please review :D

My inspirations x) :

_**Dorkfish Hipsterframe, Lacry91, Vegan Vampy, 0Kuro Tenshi0, Princess thieves of heart,**__**DuckAnimePerson, Frozen Paint, Origanum Vulgare, Sekaiichihatsukoilov3r, any anonymous reader who reviews :), KoriryuVEX, and Cetacea-of-Time!**_


	10. Denial

**Disclaimer: **I don't own. xD

**Word Count: **2,845 (eegad, amazed I could get even this much..)

Sorry guys! It didn't turn out to be an early update…mostly cause I started school and I've been pretty down once I get home from school, thus the darkness in this chapter I guess.

I was pretty scatter brained/extremely when I wrote this…so I apologize if it's crappy ;-;!

Oh and while I was writing this, I was listening to the song "Loneliness" from the Naruto Shippuden soundtrack. It actually fits the whole theme pretty well, but eh, I can't even think straight so what do I know? Oi.

Anyways, please review? :D

* * *

_"Understanding does not cure evil, but it is a definite help, inasmuch as one can cope with a comprehensible darkness."_

**-Carl Jung**

* * *

Chapter Ten: Denial

_**Haruka**_

Well, this cave turned out to be a really shitty idea. Pein and I had simultaneously discovered the trap that we had so easily walked into. The floors were completely smooth, no cracks or crevices, which meant…

"Shit." I huffed as I felt the floor beneath me slide apart with a deafening squeal and before I knew it, I was plummeting to Kami knows where. I flinched when I felt the harsh material of rope wrap tightly around the front of me while I was pushed back into something warm. I recognized that the chakra belonged to Pein, and that they had tied us together back to back. I attempted to contain those stupid feminine squeals as I had no idea how far I was plunging and if I would survive the fall.* I found that the only reason that I wasn't squealing my ass off was the fact that Pein was practically radiating warmth, which surprisingly comforted me.

_Heh, this is almost like a sandwich_, I thought, snickering at my stupidity. _Pein would more than likely fit the role of the cheese. Plain, crotchety cheese. With many piercings. Mmm._

Thanks to my almost nocturnal vision, I could see most of my surroundings. I glanced up to see the floor (or ceiling- whatever-thing) slide back in place, and I could finally see the floor, which was now a few feet below us.

If I didn't just fall through the freakin ceiling then I wouldn't believe that I was even in a cave at all. The room around us looked like an average room. Instead of rock, the walls were white and made from the same material as an average wall. The tiled floors were also a pure white color. A few inches from where we were to land stood four men, all wearing the ANBU Black Ops masks. The symbol on their headbands told me that they're ANBU from the Hidden Mist Village. Behind the ANBU sat a desk with a few files scattered atop of it. I feebly attempted to read the information, but the desk was too distant. There were also a few bookcases and file cabinets present in the room.

I forced chakra into my ass (yes, if I were to crash onto the ground, the bones would probably shatter) and braced for impact, but right before we were to hit the ground, the ropes that were tightly bound around us suddenly squeezed even tighter and I found that we were dangling far enough off the ground so that our feet wouldn't touch the floor.

"This is certainly a pleasant surprise. I expected rogues, but certainly not two of the Akatsuki," The ANBU had who had spoken, his voice a satisfied purr, stepped forward, scrutinizing my face, "Haven't I seen you before?"

_Dammit! Would Lady Tsunade want me to disclose what the hell I'm doing with the Akatsuki to the ANBU of the Hidden Mist? It's none of their damn business, plus Pein and I are tied together. It wouldn't end too well if he figures out what I'm doing…_

"How the hell am I supposed to know with you hiding behind that damn mask?" I growled, glaring daggers at him.

…Maybe that wasn't the best approach, but hey, I'm an Akatsuki now…right?

_Oh hell, I'm starting to believe that_, I thought, aghast. _Dammit, I'm on a mission. I'm not here to agree with Pein's plans; I'm here to try to stop them, no matter how genius I believe they are. What _if_ peace could be attained through violence though? It does make sense, for maybe everyone _could_ finally understand each other…but that would result in hurting those close to me. He could use the tailed beast weapon against Konoha, hell, if he attained that tailed beast weapon, then that would mean the death of…Naruto. I could never let that happen. Ever._

"That attitude, auburn hair, blue eyes…" The ANBU that had scrutinized me suddenly stepped back, and glanced over to the one standing in the middle, which I assumed is the captain of the squad. "This is...Haruka Akatsuka of the Hidden Leaf, younger sister of Daichi Akatsuka."

My eyes widened to a considerable size at the mentioning of my brother. I stared at the man who had now finished scrutinizing my face. _How does he…_

"Ah, Haruka, the failure of the Akatsuka family," The captain scoffed, trudging over to lean directly in front of my face, "Honestly, I'm not surprised I found you joined up with the Akatsuki."

"I swear if you don't get the hell away from my face, I'll tear your fucking head off." I snarled, struggling against the ropes, vaguely aware that Pein was still calmly tied against me.

"Now how would your brother feel about that?" The man didn't move an inch, the mask remaining only centimeters away from my face, his voice a conniving jeer. "How would your brother feel if he was aware that his dear little sister joined the ranks of the Akatsuki? He would be disgusted, repulsed!"

"Shut the hell up! You don't know a damn thing!" I shrieked, my feeble attempts at wiggling out of the ropes growing stronger.

"Oh yes I do!" The man chirped smugly. I could just feel the arrogance emanating from behind his mask. "You're angry that your village never recognizes you, that they treat you like you're an abomination because you're the poor little orphan who can't do anything right."

"…You may be right about that," I muttered, my head bowed, "…But there's more to me than my failures. You may look at me and see all of the wrongs that I've done, but I've become stronger from those failures. And you can't stand there and tell me that Shinobi make no mistakes, because the whole ninja world is a mistake. So many pointless wars, so many deaths, but what for? What do we accomplish from fighting? Nothing. Death, death, and more death."

The ANBU before me backed up in surprise, and I twisted my head slightly to see that Pein was almost that of a rock beside of me; tense and bizarre eyes flashing with mixed emotions, but they were gone just as fast as they had shown. The single emotion that I could place in his eyes was sadness, intense sadness, but in that moment, I wasn't sure if I was just imagining it or not.

I felt a fresh desire to knock down all of the walls that he'd surrounded himself in. It was blatant, maybe only to me, I wasn't sure, that horrible events drove him towards such a dark path, that he was never able to move on from the pain that caused his heart to freeze over. Perhaps maybe all he needs is someone to care, someone to _understand_…

I held Pein's gaze, and my next statement was just for him.

"Pain…that's one thing not everybody can get past. Maybe that's why people veer off into darkness…but hey, I'm just a kid, I'll never know," I laughed darkly, noting that something sparked in Pein's eyes, but I wasn't sure _what_. I averted my gaze back to the ANBU in front of us. "I may not be the most perfect Shinobi, I may make tons of mistakes, but there's one thing you need to _never_ forget."

"And what might that be?" The ANBU captain scoffed.

"…Never underestimate me." I stated dryly, my glare intensifying.

"You're much like you're brother in more ways than one," the ANBU snorted, his mask returning to its place just centimeters in front of my face again, "But, the one quality that I see the most? Arrogance. You believe that you can change the world, that everyone will one day cease fighting and there will be peace. You are just naive children believing in something as farfetched as peace. _That_ will _never_ become reality."

"It's people like _you_ that disgust me! Thousands of people have lost hope because of the ones like you, the ones who just don't understand the pain of others and only scratch the surface to the root of the problem because you act like you know," I paused, swallowing to try to prevent the rising sobs. "…You act like you know how it feels when you can't even imagine the hurt, the _agony_, that the one in front of you is truly feeling."

Memories of my brother flashed through my mind as I fought to control the emotions that I've had locked up in my heart for so long.

Sure, people have attempted to understand. They've named off situations that aren't even close to the one I went through, acting like they truly understood the pain I felt. They didn't, and they never will.

"…Now what the hell do you want with us?" I snapped, writhing in the tight bindings.

"Answers. Everything about your monstrous organization." The ANBU captain answered, leaning back and crossing his arms.

_Shit, after that display, I'm not telling him a damn thing_, I thought bitterly. _Besides, Pein's right beside me. Damn, we got to get out of here…but that's impossible to do without killing these ANBU. _

"I'm not telling you a damn thing." I huffed, glaring daggers at the man in front of me.

"Oh really? Shall we result to torture?" The ANBU captain sneered.

"Let us go, or I'll be forced to kill you." Pein _finally_ decided to speak and I turned my head to see that his expression was nonchalant, his gaze intense, yet deathly calm.

"I don't believe that's possible in your current situation." The ANBU captain stated dryly, triumph in his voice.

Before my brain could comprehend what just happened, my ass hit the floor and the ANBU captain appeared to have some sort of metal rod piercing right through his chest, Pein standing directly behind him.

"You bastard!" The captain grunted weakly, blood oozing out of his mouth as he coughed, "You were just…_allowing_…us…to…talk…" With one final cough and the removing of Pein's rod, the ANBU captain slid to the ground, dead.

* * *

_**Pein**_

_Perhaps Haruka actually knows of the pain…perhaps she could understand…_

I pulled my chakra rod out of the ANBU captain and glanced at the frightened girl in question, who watched him fall to the ground with wide eyes.

…_What am I thinking? _

The remaining ANBU present in the room gawked at their captain's body, but quickly recovered and two of them lunged forward. I released one of the rods from my arm, clashing with one ANBU in front of me that had pulled out a kunai while catching the other's fist and chucking him across the room, where he proceeded to smack against the wall.

_She's felt true pain…she's been an orphan…she strives for peace in a world that twists that vision into something that seems nearly unachievable…yet she still believes…_

"One of you get the girl! _Now_!" One of the ANBU behind me commanded, and one of them sprung on Haruka, who was now standing with a determined, yet aghast expression.

_I believe she directed that statement, 'Pain…that's one thing not everybody can get past', towards me…almost like she could see right through me, all the way back to my days with Yahiko and Konan…_

I smashed my chakra rod into the ANBU's kunai, which snapped in half and fell to the ground with a loud clattering noise. I quickly stabbed the ANBU through the chest and glanced at Haruka, who was now fighting off one of the ANBU with the other unconscious on the ground.

…_Perhaps…_

"You were one of the most loyal Hidden Leaf ninja," I heard the ANBU mutter to Haruka. He had her pinned to the wall with a kunai at her throat. "Why would you waste your talents and join the Akatsuki?"

_One of the most loyal? _I thought, pausing and staring at dispute before me. One characteristic that I'd noticed about Haruka was, in fact, how she easily attached to anybody or anything.

…Particularly my left arm.

It was also surprising that she could so easily hold my gaze without faltering. Most people are intimidated by my rinnegan, typically the people who aren't insane, but she seems to find it fascinating, oddly enough. For all she knows, I'm just the criminal mastermind behind the Akatsuki seeking only world domination and destruction, when truly, peace is my main priority. With pain comes understanding, and when everyone is forced to endure true pain, this is the only time when people will truly understand one another.

The ANBU began to apply pressure to the kunai at her throat. I activated my rinnegan, repelling the man away from Haruka. Her eyes tripled in size as she watched the ANBU smash into the wall opposite from her, her gaze slowly travelling from the ANBU to me, a questioning look in her eyes. I tore my gaze from hers and glanced at the ANBU that I had smashed into the wall. He was lying limp on the ground, his attempts at standing upright feeble.

"W-What the hell did you do?" The ANBU gasped as I stepped over the dead bodies of his comrades strewn around the room. I stopped in front of the man, my chakra rod ready to pierce his flesh.

"Tell me where the six tails jinchuuriki host is residing." I asked calmly, staring down at the defeated man before me.

"N-Never!" The man gasped, pressing closer to the wall.

"Very well." I answered, ending the man's life by jabbing my chakra rod through his chest. After yanking the chakra rod out of the deceased ANBU, I walked over to the messy desk and glanced down at the files atop of it, digging through the large stacks until I found the one labeled '_Utakata_'.

So he murdered his sensei and fled the village…interesting...

I turned to Haruka, who was still staring at the ANBU with a horrified expression. I watched her face take on about a dozen different expressions, finally deciding to remain on a painfully sorrowful frown.

Before I could ponder over how Madara recruited someone who couldn't handle death, my eyes wandered from her face to her side, the fabric of her shirt drenched in her own blood.

"Pein?" She inquired. Her voice was perfectly normal aside from a miniscule twinge of sadness that was barely conspicuous.

"…What."

"Can we get ice cream again?" She offered a small, genuine smile.

"You're bleeding." I stated bluntly, a tiny spark of emotion that I hadn't felt for so long ignited in the pit of my stomach. I attempted to disregard the strong feeling, but that only seemed to worsen the issue. I found myself willing her to answer, to act as she normally does and irritate the hell out of me.

"It's nothin'," she smiled brightly, albeit the glazed expression in her eyes that were filled with pain. No doubt she's lost a good amount of blood. "We should probably get out of here…"

She attempted to stand, but collapsed, scowling at herself. I sighed heavily and trudged over to her, grabbing her wrist and yanking her to her feet. She wobbled weakly, seeming to nearly collapse a second time until she slung her arm around my shoulders, leaning heavily against me. Her warmth was oddly comforting, but I pushed that fact aside as I glared at her and she smiled weakly at me.

"Shit Pein, lighten up. You really should let me call you crotch…" She muttered.

"No." I growled, activating my rinnegan and forcing the ceiling to slide apart yet again.

"How the hell did you do that?" Haruka exclaimed, bobbing slightly, but grimaced as the wound on her side was hit with another burst of pain due to her sudden movement.

I disregarded her inquiry, reluctantly wrapped an arm around her waist to hold her in place, and began ascending through the opening left by the ceiling's absence through my rinnegan.

"Holy _shit_!" Haruka shouted, her eyes tripling in size as we landed in the cave entrance. "We're dead aren't we? Cause I swear, if you can do that if you're not dead, then you're like a fucking god."

"We're not dead." I muttered absentmindedly, pondering over the fact that the ANBU captain had indeed mentioned that her brother is now deceased. For the first time since we embarked on this journey, I allowed my curiosity to take over me.

"The ANBU captain mentioned that your brother is now deceased. What was the cause of his death?" I inquired. I felt her immediately tense against me after the word 'brother'. I glanced down at her, discovering that she was now looking away and staring at the ground.

"If I tell you about my brother…then will you tell me your real name?" She asked, glancing up at me with bright eyes and a small smile. I fought back the urge to offer a small smirk for the small deal she had just created. I suppose it won't do any harm to inform her of my real name…

…_She could save me._

"Deal."

* * *

There you have it, my scatter brained fail. ;w;

Please review! It would make me feel so much better, since I started school and all, I would love to come home to see new reviews :) or new reviewers..I need more of those xD But I do love you regular reviewers. YOU MAKE ME BLEED RAINBOWS :D!

If you have any suggestions for any romance or junk you wanna see in the future with Haruka and such, just PM me or something. I'll try to make it happen if it's not too far from the basic plot or ending I've intended for the story~

Reeevviieewww please c:

A HUUGGE thank you to all my reviewers:

_**Dorkfish Hipsterframe, Lacry91, Vegan Vampy, 0Kuro Tenshi0, Princess thieves of heart,**__**DuckAnimePerson, Frozen Paint, Origanum Vulgare, Sekaiichihatsukoilov3r, any anonymous reader who reviews :), KoriryuVEX, and Cetacea-of-Time!**_


	11. The Gap between Us

**Declaimer: **Don't own Naruto~

**Word Count: **2,903

Woo! Chapter 11~

Omg, got a 99 on my first Japanese test ! :"D LOL ANYWAYS HERE IT IS~~ Please review~

* * *

The worst thing you can do for love is deny it; so when you find that special someone, don't let anyone or anything to get in your way."

-Unknown

* * *

Chapter Eleven: The Gap between Us

_**Haruka**_

The whole process of breaking down the walls Pein built around himself is like watching Naruto down seven bowls of ramen. Wait, no, horrible comparison because that's actually quite entertaining, mostly because we like to slam bowls of ramen on top of each other's heads.

No, the process was more or less like listening to Iruka. Tedious and seemingly never ending.

'_Least I'm getting somewhere_, I thought, noting how his eyes had softened a considerable amount since we began our little hunt for the six tails. _But damn…those ANBU…what would Tsunade think? I practically assisted in the murdering of three ANBU Black Ops _and _refused to disclose information on the whereabouts of the Akatsuki. Shit, what else was I supposed to do? _

I let out a shaky breath as another spark of pain jolted through me.

"I guess I'll start from the time my parents died…" I huffed, leaning heavily against him as we stepped from the cave entrance and out into the cold night air. I suppressed the urge to grunt once I began walking (limping) against Pein, who stared down at me in anticipation.

"Besides, since when are _you _the one asking the questions?" I muttered, smiling sheepishly as his curious gaze transformed into a glare that seemed softer than his usual.

_Weird. _

"…Fine, but dammit, we're sitting down for this shit." I grunted as we veered off of the path, managing to discover a small stream with tall grass growing beside of it a little ways away from the cave, which we silently decided to stay in for the night. I sighed, plopping myself down in front of the water, sanitizing the wound the best I could with the limited resources. The grass was actually quite soft.

"So…uh…hmm…" I stuttered, glancing at him and noticing that he'd leaned up against the sakura tree a little ways away from where I was perched by the stream. I scooted from my spot to sit next to him beneath the tree.

"Parents." Pein reminded me emotionlessly, watching the stream with a steady gaze. I nodded and stared up at the sky, which was now completely black, with only a two visible stars twinkling cheerily in the void of darkness. Moonlight from a full moon bathed our little tree and the stream in front of us, turning Pein's eyes a brilliant shade of pale purple and his hair a soft orange.

_Damn, he looks fine_. That tiny voice has finally resurfaced.

_Shut the hell up_, I thought, shaking my head in a very feeble attempt to clear that thought away. I glanced at Pein, his skin practically glowing and his piercings shining, and ignored the fact that I had hormones. Very ecstatic hormones.

_Dammit, I'm insane. I told myself I wouldn't even think twice about romance after what happened with him. It just doesn't work, and hell, you allow yourself to stray away from believing that you only need yourself, and dammit, yourself is all you need. I've watched too many people walk out of my life, believing that they'd always be there, especially after they'd promised me. But nothing lasts forever, nothing, especially good things. They leave just like that, and whoever you thought was there for you is now gone, and now what do you have? Nothing. _

_See, if you were a rock none of this would even happen. All they have to do is sit there. There aren't any annoying guy rocks there to distract it. I mean, if there even was, being the lucky rocks they are, they get piled on top of each other, so they're forever having sex._

I was suddenly snapped back into reality when I heard Pein clear his throat. He glanced at me with those brilliant eyes, raising an eyebrow. I stared at him like a tard, but then suddenly remembered what the hell I was supposed to be telling him.

"Oh…right…" I muttered, my gaze travelling to the patch of green grass that separated us. I gulped, suppressing the urge to sigh deeply.

"My parents…they were both ANBU Black Ops," I muttered, my gaze returning to the small stream, watching the water slither down to Kami knows where. "Brilliant ninja, to be exact. My father is most likely who I inherited my water chakra nature from, 'cause my mom had a fire chakra nature."

"I have faint memories of my parents, but my father was always calm and respectful, with a powerful air to him, while my mother was rash and, frankly, didn't give two shits. They both loved me, but they would always have missions to fulfill, so they would leave me in the capable hands of my brother…"

"I was always closest to my brother. I would irritate the hell out of him each and every day of his life…" I paused to laugh reminiscently, Pein smirking. I shot him an indignant glare. "…But he loved me anyway. He understood me more than anyone else…hell, he cared for me more than my own parents. He was always there for me because my parents couldn't be, ya know, ANBU missions and such. My brother had inherited the fire chakra nature, and dammit, we're practically the same person. A part of him will always be with me, no matter where he may be."

"My brother always detested the idea of war, and would always tell me that the ninja world is hell. I didn't believe it, I wanted to be the greatest Shinobi to ever live, but that all changed when my parents died," I laughed darkly, scowling at the ground. "I completely detested the idea of the Shinobi world, but my brother would tell me that I had the power to change it if I kept my grades up in the Academy and shown kindness to those around me. As always, I followed his advice, though I never let him know that he always won our little fiascos."

* * *

"_Daichi! Daichi! Mom! Dad! Look! I got one of the highest grades in my class for a substitution jutsu!" I screeched, throwing the door to my apartment open, expecting to find that mom and dad had returned from their mission. After all, today was the day when they were expected to return. "I…" _

_I paused momentarily when I spotted the ANBU Black Ops in a heated discussion with my brother. _

"_Daichi, it's very unfortunate, but rules are rules," one of the ANBU snapped rudely. "One day you'll grow up and learn to follow them!" _

"_I'm the one who needs to grow up?! To hell with that mission! It was a blatant trap!" Daichi's eyes shown deep despair, which I couldn't imagine why. I waited patiently by the door of our apartment for their discussion to end so I could show my brilliant test result. "I understand that we are in desperate need of help, but to negotiate with _them_?! Have you lost your shit infested minds?!" _

_I'd never seen my brother so angry. I didn't like it._

"…_Daichi?" I muttered from my little corner, grabbing his attention. His green eyes focused on me and immediately softened, though the sorrow in his eyes only deepened. _

"…_Get the hell out of my apartment." Daichi's voice was a low growl as the ANBU nodded solemnly and vaporized with some sort of jutsu._

"_Daichi? Has mom and dad returned?" I asked, sprinting over to him and bouncing up and down, my eyes shining. The paper that I held with my Academy test results flopped around gracefully in my grasp._

"…_No. Haruka, there's something I need to tell you," Daichi started, pausing to take a deep breath. "Mom and dad…they've…damn…they're in a better place." _

_Tears._

_The sound of paper being torn apart._

* * *

"I did as he asked, for two years; I treated people kindly and with respect. It wasn't such a hard task, except for the occasional asshole I'd have to beat the shit out of for making fun of me or my friends. I'd always take my time when returning from the Academy because I wasn't the best student after my parents passed. Annoying the shit out of the teachers was my favorite pass time, plus I was never the brightest when it came to any form of jutsu, from taijutsu to ninjutsu, you name it, I sucked at it. My best was never enough, but my brother never ran out of patience and would help me practice every day…"

* * *

"_Oof!" I huffed after my brother sent one punch to my face that I hadn't been able to avoid. "Dammit Daichi! You said you wouldn't be so rough…" _

"_Watch the language Haruka," he sighed, bending his knees so he could be at eye level and putting his hand on my shoulder. "Your movements need to be a bit more agile and light. Seriously, you move like you're carrying an elephant." He laughed lightly, smacking me playfully on the head while I glared daggers at him._

"_I don't even see why this matters," I muttered, folding my arms in front of me indignantly and staring at my dirt covered pants. "You'll always be here to protect me, right? I don't want to listen to Iruka ramble anymore! After all, you said the ninja world is a mistake, so why take part in something that's not even supposed to exist?" _

"_Don't be an idiot Haruka," my brother replied after staring past me at something I couldn't see for a moment before focusing his attention back to me. "You need these skills to change this world that we live in. I know you can do it, and I won't always be here to fight your battles. It won't be easy, but I believe in you. After all, you're the most important person in the world to me, now can it and stop your whining. I promise I'll always be with you, no matter the circumstance…here, demonstrate that punch again…"_

"…_You promise?"_

"_I promise."_

* * *

"He promised he'd always be there for me the day before he was murdered," I muttered, my voice heavy with despair that I had failed to suppress. "That day I found his body…all the ANBU had t-told me was that he was a great S-Shinobi and that they would honor his n-name…" I paused as I felt tears slide down my cheeks. _Damn it! Why the shit do I have to start crying in front of him? _I scowled at the tears, the ultimate sign of weakness. But I told him I'd tell him about all of it, so I plan on sticking to my word. "…My brother was s-stabbed right through the ch-chest…" I swallowed hard, attempting to break my newly developed stuttering habit. "I was the first to discover his body, which was lying underneath the sakura tree in the clearing we would always practice in…"

* * *

"_Hey dipshit, I'll be back in about an hour or so. I'm going to train, now don't follow me, or I'll be forced to make you clean the kitchen." Daichi grinned sadistically before smacking me in the back of the head and heading out the door. _

_I wasn't about to let him win. I raced out of our little apartment after a ten minute distraction from the ice cream in the freezer._

'_He's not gonna best me! I'll surprise attack em!' I thought happily, nearing the little clearing in the forest my brother and I train within. _

_With my sneaking skills (meaning, crashing through the forest, crunching leaves, and tripping over logs) I managed to make it to the clearing unscathed. I hid behind one of the sakura trees that surrounded the clearing and peered around the trunk, aghast at what I saw before my eight year old eyes._

_My brother was lying on his side underneath the tallest sakura tree that we used to have rare family picnics beneath, in a pool of his own blood. My heart beat at the speed of light within my chest as I raced over to Daichi's limp body. _

"_Daichi! Get up!" I shouted, tears streaming down my face as I violently shook his body. I realized that my attempts were feeble as I stared down at his too-pale face. There was a slight smile upon it, which astonished me as my gaze travelled to the left side of his chest, blood still gushing out of the monstrous wound. I shivered, watching my tears fall onto my brother's lifeless face._

'_Why is it always me?' I thought, inhaling a deep breath, my heart twisting and then finally, after all of these years of holding itself together, shattered. 'One by one, they all leave. Why…did…he…have…to…die…'_

_._

_._

_._

_He can't be dead…_

* * *

"The ANBU told me that the cause of death was a rogue ninja, but how the hell could a rogue ninja manage to get that close to Konoha?" I scowled at the thought of the fake smiles of reassurance, and, worst of all, _pity_. I clenched my fists so tightly my knuckles felt as if they would shatter. "Shit, sometimes I don't even know what to do anymore…"

I did what any self-respected, insane young eighteen, almost nineteen year old would do. I scooted closer to an S-ranked criminal, closing the gap between us, and allowed my head to rest on his shoulder. Act of comfort, ya know? I felt him tense up before I felt his arm reluctantly snake its way around my waist. I glanced up into those bizarre, yet fascinating eyes, wanting nothing more than to get even closer…

* * *

_**Pein**_

I am a shell of my former self.

I am a shell of my former self.

_I am a shell of my former self._

This phrase played on repeat in my mind while I stared into those warm, dark blue eyes. How could I allow this to happen? How could I allow myself to wrap my arm around the waist of such an imprudent, rash, idiotic, cunning…caring…

_No._

_This is absolutely wrong_. I shot her a weak, but stern glare, but that only seemed to make her small smile widen, which caused the initial reaction of weakening my glare down to nothing but a blank stare.

_Dammit, dammit, dammit. What was it Konan said a while back? Show her whose boss? _My thoughts became unclear as I found myself lost in that sea of dark blue that gazed warmly up into my cold stare, melting the ice as I found myself smiling, my gaze soft.

How could I, a god, allow this incompetent girl to stray me away from the path I had chosen for myself?

Perhaps it's the fact that her past, though completely different, seems so similar to mine. A frightened, insignificant girl, who hadn't a single person there for her after her brother was killed, just as when my parents were murdered and Konan had not found me yet. Though I did have Chibi…

"So you _do_ have a smile?" Her soft, yet tomboyish voice cut into my thoughts.

"Tch." I responded halfheartedly, my smile never faltering, though I was willing the expression to drop into a frown.

"Right, I told you my shit," she beamed as I realized with slight irritation that she recalled our deal. "Now tell me your name, no, wait, let me guess." I raised an eyebrow and her grin widened, her chin resting on my shoulder as she pretended to ponder over her answer. "…Crotch." After this statement followed hysterical laughter.

"Tch."

"C'mon! We don't have all night~!" she chirped, pulling her chin away from my shoulder and staring up at me quizzically, albeit my slight disappointment at her warmth leaving my shoulder.

All sense of logic was telling me to just disregard her and go to sleep, but I seemed to be lacking intellect lately. I tore my gaze away from hers and glanced up at the few stars dotting the black sky and the moon shining brightly.

My gaze travelled from the moon and back to Haruka, its light making her skin glow and her auburn hair a softer shade. She was simply…beautiful.

"…Nagato." I muttered softly, my gaze locked with hers.

"That…suits you." She answered after a few minutes of silence, smiling softly and burying herself closer into me, her head returning to my shoulder. My grip involuntarily tightened around her waist. She didn't press any further, which relieved me.

Warmth practically radiated from her as we sat pressed against each other in the cold, autumn breeze.

_What am I doing? _I scowled at my imprudent behavior, but couldn't disregard the nagging emotion that I couldn't quite recognize. I should be focusing on the six tails, yet instead thoughts of this naïve, incompetent girl clouded my mind, successfully leading me astray from the task at hand.

"Nagato?" She inquired, raising her head slightly to look at me sleepily. Though I would never admit it, the way my name rolled off her tongue sounded as if she was created to say my name. Yet again, I found a smile tugging at the corner of my lips.

"What."

My answer was met with silence as our gazes locked yet again, dark blue clashing with light purple. She was beaming yet again, and I felt all the barriers that I had built around myself completely melt momentarily as I lost all sense of better judgment and began to lean forward, closing the gap between us…

* * *

OH LORD FLUFF ALERT. WATCH OUT.

Anyways, I can't even remember the last time I updated. Last week maybe? Can't remember. School does this to me.

OMG NEW REVIEWERS :D I LOVE YOU GUYYSSS. And especially you regular reviewers. You make my days so much brighter…:)

SO THERE WAS FLUFF JUST FOR YOU! ...SO NOW YOU MUST REVIEW! LOL I SHOULD MAKE POETRY. LOLNOISHOULDN'TYOUREYESWOULDBLEEED

Thanks to all my reviewers~:

_**TheNinjaOfEpic, Kristine, Dorkfish Hipsterframe, Lacry91, Vegan Vampy, 0Kuro Tenshi0, Princess thieves of heart,**__**DuckAnimePerson, Frozen Paint, Origanum Vulgare, Sekaiichihatsukoilov3r, any anonymous reader who reviews :), KoriryuVEX, and Cetacea-of-Time!**_


	12. Symbolic Snails

**Disclaimer: **Don't own~

**Word Count: **4, 097 (JESUS TAKE THE WWHHEEEEL HOT DAMN)

GAH FINALLY, HERE WE GO. Got another chappie up~ Hope you enjoy guys :) AND PLEASE REVIEW! I made it extrraaa long, cause you guys are just so darn amazing~! Thank you for all your reviews, . . :DDD!

*There's probably grammatical errors and such cause you know, I have to go to bed in like two minutes so I can't look over it ;w;!

* * *

Chapter Twelve: Symbolic Snails

_**Haruka**_

_Did his arm just tighten around me? Huh. Must be imagining things. _

_Wait, oh shit, he's leaning. Leaning? HOT DAMN._

_Pull away Haruka. He's the leader of the organization you're supposed to be destroying. Why aren't you pulling away? _

_Stop drooling._

_Dammit, you're not a freaking dog._

_Pull the fuck away! _

_Keep going. You know you like him…_

I felt his lips brush against mine (oh so damn soft…) and…

"Leader…sama?** Oh ho ho**." A voice, rather, _two _voices caused me to recoil in astonishment and I opened my eyes to see Zetsu, the spy of the Akatsuki.

"Dammit Zetsu! Go crawl back in your hole!" I shouted, glaring daggers at the plant man in front of me. It was always astonishing, and rather irritating, when I was forced to see Zetsu. His body was split into two different colors; the right side of him is jet black while the left side of him white. His eyes were a striking yellow and his messy hair light green. And then there was that bulbous plant. That plant annoys the hell out of me.

"**Shut up you imprudent brat. **We're here to tell leader-sama that we've located the six tails. He's not far from here, **and it appears he has a few Shinobi and an insignificant girl travelling with him.**" Zetsu announced, perched in front of us and grinning widely.

I glanced at Pein as he nodded at Zetsu, seeming unfazed at what had just happened while I had practically morphed into a strawberry. It only just registered what Zetsu's black half had called me.

"Zetsu, I swear, I will murder you. Can you _ever _just walk here or something, instead of coming out of the ground like a freaking creep?" I snapped, crossing my arms and glaring Hell fire at the plant dude.

"No, **it's fun to see what you do in your spare time,**" Zetsu raised his lone eyebrow at me and then glanced at Pein. My glare intensified. "Besides, what can you **do about it, brat.**"

Zetsu's grin only widened when I threw a punch at his face, but he had already began the process of sinking back into the ground like some kind of demented worm. I slammed my fist into the ground where he had disappeared while shouting a string of profanities.

"Asshole." I muttered and glanced at Pein…er…Nagato? Damn that's weird. He was staring past the stream at the surrounding trees, his face completely devoid of all emotion.

_We almost…well shit. This makes things about a thousand times more complicated. How am I supposed to complete this mission with such a distraction? I think it's best to just pretend like it didn't happen_, I thought sternly. That subconscious voice was throwing a tantrum.

_Denial~! _With that final word, I shoved the voice out of my mind, albeit I knew that it was right.

"We're leaving." Nagato's voice cut into my thoughts and I jumped about twenty feet off the ground. I reluctantly (and painfully) stood up and trudged (limped) to his side, attempting to conceal the damn blush that kept finding its way to my cheeks whenever I glanced at his lips. His gaze flashed to my wound and back to the trees ahead of us in a matter of a millisecond.

"So, it's like a night adventure? Hell yeah!" I exclaimed in genuine anticipation, for it appears to be midnight and we're already heading out. I attempted to bounce up and down in complete idiocy, but failed due to the stupid wound. Again I found myself leaning heavily against Nagato, scowling at my weakened state.

"We're going to the nearest inn." He responded, his voice as emotionless as always.

_He's much better at this whole 'pretend none of that sexy fluff ever even happened' thing than I am_, I thought, my scowl be completely honest, that fact actually bugged the shit out of me.

We began departing from our little spot beside of the sakura tree, and as we left, a sudden, cool breeze rustled the tree and scattering the soft, pink petals all around us. A petal landed gently in Pein's soft orange hair, causing me to snicker and his eye to twitch and his expression to form into a weak glare.

"Nagato?" I inquired suddenly, tilting my head slightly to look up at him from where I was leaning on his shoulder. I continued to watch the sakura petals scatter around us, grinning widely.

"What."

"Nagato."

"_What._"

"_Naaaagato~_!"

Glare.

Smile.

Weakened glare.

Wider smile.

"Ya know, Nagato is much more fun to say, 'cause it suits you a shit-ton. I dunno why, you just seem like a "Nagato" to me." I chirped, smiling warmly up at him.

"Tch." He responded, albeit the flash of amusement I saw in his eyes.

I stared up at the sky as I felt a few raindrops splatter onto my nose. I shivered at the cold breeze as the light drops of rain transformed into a heavy drizzle, pressing myself closer into Nagato's side, which always happened to be quite warm.

* * *

_**Naruto**_

After our team had discovered that the Tsuchigumo clan's refuge for Hotaru was unsafe, we decided to venture back to the fort where we had left Sakura. Utakata had decided to tag along with us in order to protect Hotaru (thought he won't admit that he totally wants to get in her pants).

A sudden, heavy drizzle began to fall right as we reached the fort. Captain Yamato pulled the door open and entered the fort. I could see Sakura bent beside the old man inside, who was lying under a blanket. I began to step inside, but paused when I felt a familiar chakra. It seemed so far away but still apparent. Then I felt a much stronger surge of chakra, though faint, but so strong it almost masked hers…

_I must be imagining things, but I'm sure I felt her chakra…_ I thought, stepping into the cover of the fort when Sai began to basically shove me through the doorframe with that fake smile plastered on his face. _And that stronger chakra signature…maybe I should go check it out…_

"Hey, watch it Sai!" I shouted crossly when Sai shoved me with a large amount of force behind the gesture, finally managing to peel me away from the rain outside.

"Captain Yamato?" I asked suddenly. Yamato turned to look at me with a skeptical look on his face. Then he shook his head.

…So he had felt it too.

"_Captain Yamato! WE HAVE TO GO AFTER HER!_" I cried, turning on my heel and flat out sprinting into the rain. Yes, I'm on a mission. Yes, it's fairly important. No, I cannot ignore Haruka's chakra signature, and the chance of her getting hurt by the Akatsuki that is most likely accompanying her.

"Naruto!" I heard Yamato's faint voice behind me. Utakata then spoke up, addressing Yamato.

"I'll go after him. Keep Hotaru safe." Utakata sighed and began to chase after me as I sprinted blindly through the trees, following the faint chakra signature.

For a while we sprinted in silence, until I felt familiar chakra and glanced behind me to find Captain Yamato and Sai following suit.

"Captain Yamato! Sai! I thought you'd stay behind…" I exclaimed in surprise. They must have left Sakura behind to take care of Hotaru and the old man.

"Since we probably won't be able to stop you, we've decided to tag along. We must take precautions, especially when dealing with the Akatsuki," Yamato responded nonchalantly, "And when Lady Tsunade finds out that you've ruined Haruka's mission, it's your ass she's gonna kick, not mine."

"But Captain Yamato, aren't you worried at all? I mean, you're her sensei and all." I commented, raising an eyebrow at Yamato.

"My missions come before my feelings, Naruto." Yamato replied, gaze fixated on the trees that blurred around us at the speed of which we were running. I offered a small scowl, my gaze downcast.

_Haruka, I'll find you no matter what. Yamato can't stop me! I'll kick that Akatsuki member's ass if I have to!_

* * *

_**Pein**_

I glanced at the girl who refused to detach herself from my shoulder. She dozed off occasionally and I would have to jam an elbow into her uninjured side, causing her to go on a five minute tirade about how a night trip was a "shitty idea".

_How could I allow such an imbecile to mess around with my plans? With the path I've chosen? How imprudent…_

"…And ya know we could at least get some ice cream or something, dammit, how long's it been since we ate? I swear, you're trying to kill me…"

I barely regarded any of what she was saying, albeit it was true that we hadn't eaten anything in a full day.

_My focus has been completely averted from the hunt for the six tails. This girl…so naïve and…what's the word?...I'll just settle for damn stupid. How could this impossibly, damn stupid girl invade my mind? I've never felt an emotion such as this. It's too…warm…happy. Emotions such as this are the ones I've chosen to block out over the years, believing they'd only get in my way…_

"You know…" she said softly, cutting into my thoughts and ceasing her tirade. "You're not so bad once you actually let people in."

…_Perhaps I was wrong._

"…Tch."

She sighed, smiling sadly. Our gazes locked and I raised an eyebrow. Apparently she hadn't realized her facial expression, for once she saw the curiosity flood my gaze, she slapped on the fake, goofy smile that had become so genuine over the span of the hunt for the six tails. She averted her eyes, but remained pressed against my side.

I sighed heavily, glancing down into her eyes and deciding that the cause of her despair was the fact that I refused to speak more than one word.

_I shouldn't care_, I thought, scowling slightly. _I'll more than likely regret what I'm about to do…_

"…We'll get ice cream when we get to the inn." I said, and watch as Haruka began to practically spontaneously combust against my side, her eyes tripling in size and her goofy smile immediately widening into something more genuine.

"_Really_?! And you actually _spoke more than one word_! You, Nagato, are the most amazing guy rock I have ever found!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around my middle, squeezing the hell out of me. I stood awkwardly frozen to the spot, not to mention extremely tense. Good thing Pein can't feel any pain.

_Rock?_

Suddenly her eyes grew wide at her last statement, and about a dozen emotions flashed flooded her face before she finally decided on a wide, pervy smile. Then she cringed, but the smile still remained. It was as if she was having some sort of inner conflict.

I felt the odd emotion begin to resurface again as I stared down at Haruka, but I pushed it quickly aside and began to walk while she still clung to my middle. After a few minutes, she had managed to doze off yet again, her head pressed against my stomach and her knees dragging the ground.

She must really be exhausted, for she didn't even seem to regard how I was kicking her unconscious form with every step I took. I reluctantly (very reluctantly) pried Haruka from my stomach and slung her unconscious body over my shoulder, my hand resting on her back.

Perhaps I should've been gentler. Her wound probably reopened yet again.

It took a span of an hour to reach the nearest inn, which was located in a town nestled in the mountains by the name of Koi. The trees around us were almost completely devoid of their leaves, a few orange and red leaves still clinging to the darkened trunks.

I paused when I spotted the light of the sun poking through the semi dead trees. I glanced from the sun to the town, where people seemed to be awake already, preparing for something. I stepped out of the cover of the trees and onto the dirt path leading into the town. The people setting up the stalls seemed to be merchants, putting up various goods on display and engaging in friendly conversations.

I trudged past them, disregarding the quizzical looks that I received and searching for the nearest inn.

…Until I was forced to pause when the unconscious Haruka began to squirm.

"…Nagato, don't eat that ice cream! It has a fucking bomb in it! Don't you see the freaking bomb man? I'm sick of your damn ego, just listen to me! Dammit, this is no time for kissing! Get those ducks the hell away from me!"

I paused, allowing my hand to slip off of her back, causing her to fall face first into the dirt path. She let out an astonished '_ow_' before turning her head to glare up at me. I couldn't contain the urge to smirk at the look on her face, covered in dirt that she was feebly attempting to wipe off.

"Dammit Nagato! What the hell was that for, you asshole?! Wipe that freaking smirk on your face before I do it for you!" she screeched, but then noticed the crowd of merchants or stall owners that had gathered around us. Her eye twitched momentarily, but she regained composure and slapped on a goofy smile, attempting to stand. It was in vain as she collapsed to the ground again, pressing a hand against the wound, pain flashing through her eyes.

I reluctantly held out a hand to help her up, and she stared at it in astonishment before taking it. Before I could pull her up, I felt her yank sharply at my hand and I crashed onto the ground face first in front of her, all while she began laughing hysterically.

"Gotcha!"

_This is what I get for even attempting the feat of being a gentleman_, I thought irritably, glaring Hell fire at Haruka.

"My, my, who do we have here?"

The voice belonged to an elderly woman, who was smiling kindly down at Haruka and me. Next to her stood a congregation of people, who looked to be farmers, with a few merchants who had ceased the hanging of lanterns to see what was transpiring.

"Haruka, my dear old lady!" Haruka flashed a humongous grin and then proceeded to poke my stomach, adding teasingly, "…And this is Nagato! He's kind've a grouch, but don't mind him~!"

I growled and pushed her hand away, ceasing her poking.

"What's going on around here anyway?" Haruka inquired, gesturing to all the stalls and lanterns set up around the little village.

"Oh! It's a little festival we hold here in this village every November. It's called the Festival of Koi, and it is a time where we celebrate love of all kind. They say that attending the festival brings you good luck, and I do hope that you two will attend while you reside here," the old woman smiled warmly at Haruka, but suddenly turned to me with quizzical, yet anxious look in her eyes. I raised an eyebrow. "You, I see great darkness in you. I'm no fortune teller, by far from it, but I can see the darkness that engulfs people. You are full of it, and I can see a tad of that darkness in you as well…" The woman had turned to Haruka, smiling sadly at her. Haruka's eyes grew wide and she shook her head. "Lightness and darkness…like day and night. Ask yourself, my dear Haruka, which do you possess? And you, Nagato?

_What? Darkness? I'm a god, I possess no darkness. I will change this world for the better, I will bring about peace. Haruka is unknowingly assisting me with this goal…This woman doesn't know a thing. Or perhaps there is more to Haruka than I may have anticipated._

"I…" Haruka stuttered, but was cut off by the granny.

"Oh, what do I know? I'm just an old buzzer! Here, I'll direct you to the nearest inn; you look as if you haven't rested in days!" The old woman gestured for us to follow her, and I began to follow, Haruka trailing thoughtfully behind me.

* * *

_**Haruka**_

_Dammit, Nagato, you've really messed up my head. _

_I wish you could hear my thoughts dammit. I hate you man. I hate you. I hope you hear this. Somehow. _

_Is it you? Is it your fault that this crusty old hag is telling me that she sees darkness in me? Yes, I do agree with your plan, it actually makes perfect sense, but whether or not I decide to go along with it should be the verdict, right? _

_I want to go along with it. I really do._

_The world would be a much better place if I was pulling the strings. I mean, there could finally be peace. I wonder if that's what you really want. Peace. What _do _you want with the world once it's yours? Dammit, that would be a major problem. I'd bet we have completely different goals for the world. You're a criminal. I'm…what am I? Who am I? _

I should really see a therapist.

"Dearie, are you feeling okay? You look pale." I had subconsciously trailed behind Nagato and hadn't even noticed that he'd come to a sudden halt. When my face made contact with his upper back, it was like smacking into a brick wall. I stammered backwards, falling flat on my ass right beside of a…

"_OH KAMI IT'S A SNAIL!_" I screeched, picking up the slimy creature and stroking its shell. "Where the hell did you come from, little guy?" I glanced up at the old woman to find that she was beaming. Nagato was not impressed.

"It's said in the legends of our village that if you find a snail, it brings about love and good luck. Even after falling flat on your ass." The old woman commented, smirking down at me while I clung to the snail.

"Well, it's said in my village that if you stumble upon a snide old geezer, you stab them repeatedly with a sharp rock." I remarked, pushing myself up off of the ground and dusting off my cloak (all while I sat the snail gingerly on my shoulder), and shooting her an '_I'm-so-damn-smart' _smirk.

"Oh really? In my village, it is said that if we stumble upon ungrateful little brats, we kick their asses out of our inns, all while stabbing them mockingly with the room key." The old woman shot back, her beady black eyes victorious behind those thick glasses of hers.

"…Go to Hell."

"I'll drag you with me."

"I'll stomp on your face while you try to drag me under." I answered, crossing my arms and glaring childishly at her. The old woman let out a small chuckle, but said nothing afterwards.

I watched as the villagers hung multiple lanterns on streamers that crisscrossed over our heads and stalls with various activities being prepared around us. Almost all of the villagers occasionally waved to the old hag, and more than half of the extensive population gathered on the streets would engage in friendly conversation, or banter, if the merchants sold the same type of merchandise.

This village reminded me of Konoha, for it was surrounded by trees, and even the center of town, where four main dirt paths connected just up ahead of us, stood a humungous aspen tree that was practically bursting with soft autumn colors. In fact, the whole village was located in an aspen grove. The houses were individual, and lay out almost exactly like the houses in Konoha, except a bit more spread apart. From what I could tell, each house contained at least one aspen tree in its yard.

I glanced up at the milky morning sky, and smiled _almost_ serenely.

"Here we are my dears!" the old woman smiled, opening a small wooden door. The inn was nestled between two different wooden houses, with a few aspen trees to separate the inn from the homes. Hung on the door was a sign that read "The Insight Inn". Weird name.

I glanced slyly at Nagato and snaked my arm around his (the arm with the little snail on my shoulder~), linking our arms together. He glanced at me, those fascinating eyes soft, and gave a small smile. I beamed up at him.

The inn that we had followed the old woman into was extremely warm and inviting. There were lanterns hanging from the ceiling, creating a soft glow of light around the otherwise dark room. The wooden floors were dark brown and the walls a charming dark green and crimson. To the right of the room was the reception desk, with the keys dangling from pegs connected to the wall, in the same style as it had at the previous inn we had resided in. The room number was neatly painted on the wall above the keys. Directly across from the entrance was a cozy fireplace with a crimson rug spread neatly in front of it. There were various chairs spread around it, along with matching coffee tables. There was no fire in the fireplace. There were also tables and chairs adorning the left side of the room, along with a door with a sign hanging neatly from the ceiling beside of it that read "Café".

The old lady hobbled over to the pegs containing the keys, and pulled the key off of the peg that was labeled with an eight above it.

"Alright, dearies, here's your key! Your room is down this corridor and through the door to your right," the old woman smiled warmly at us, her gaze trailing to our linked arms. I could swear I saw disapproval flash through her eyes. "I'm afraid I have to get going now; there is much preparation to be done before the festival! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask! Oh, and I highly recommend that you attend the festival tonight! There are so many great people to meet in this little village. I'll make sure to alert every one of our new arrivals!"

Before I could protest that I sure as hell didn't feel like meeting anyone, the old lady was out the door. I sighed and glared after the annoying old hag.

I felt a tug on my right arm and noticed that Nagato had begun trudging towards the doorway leading to our room. I quickly fell in step beside of him as we entered to the hallway leading to our room.

There was a long, crimson and blue rug that lay from the beginning of the hallway; all the way to the end of the hallway that contained a staircase leading up to what I assumed was a loft.

Nagato led us to a room located near the center of the hallway with the number eight printed in gold on the door. He pushed it open and I immediately unlatched my arm from his and sprinted to the bathroom, leaving him smirking after me.

* * *

_**Pein**_

After Haruka had disconnected our arms (which left me shamefully disappointed) and sprinted to the bathroom, I had plopped down onto the queen sized bed (clad in light blue sheets) located on the right side of the room. To the left of the bed stood a small wooden desk along with a chair, and to the right of the bed was a bedside table, complete with a lamp.

In a span of two minutes, I heard a loud thud emanating from the bathroom followed by a string of profanities, and I assumed Haruka must have tripped. I smirked.

"_HOLY SHIT NAGATO. I THINK I BROKE IT." _

I sighed heavily and pushed myself up off of the bed and entered the bathroom.

How such a small eighteen-year-old could cause such a disaster, I hadn't the slightest idea.

The faucet that I assumed originally belonged to the shower was now lying on the floor, with the snail she had managed to discover earlier resting on top of it, and where the faucet had been was now spewing water everywhere. My gaze travelled from the damaged faucet to Haruka, who had managed to tangle herself completely in the shower curtain and was now spewing all profanity known to man.

I glared intensely at her, and she smiled sheepishly up at me.

"…Uh…is it inappropriate at this present moment to tell you that I've decided to name the snail after you?"

* * *

OMG THIS TOOK FOREVER GAAAAH.

BE PROUD OF OUR PEIN GUYS. BE PRROOUUDD.

ANDD OMG OVER 50 REVIEWS?! I'M DYING HERE! OMG I LOVE YOU GUYS SOOOO MUCH :DDDDD!

My brain hurts from all the Japanese that I've accumulated. Plus the geometry homework. And the English homework. And the history homework. And, GEE YOU GET THE POINT.

Anyways, thanks to all my loyal reviewers, AND to my new ones! YOU GUYS MADE ME SO HAPPY OMG! I SMILING LIKE AN IDIOT AT MY EMAILS! I LOVE YOU GUYS! :DDD

And a very very very very special thank you to my best friend who omg, YOU GIVE ME SO MUCH INSPIRATION WOMAN. AND RINNEGAN RAINBOWS. CAN'T FORGET THOSE. :"D

Thanks to all my reviewers :) !:

_**CreepySheepy, Loki7744, JaggerMania, TheNinjaOfEpic, Kristine, Dorkfish Hipsterframe, Lacry91, Vegan Vampy, 0Kuro Tenshi0, Princess thieves of heart,**__**DuckAnimePerson, Frozen Paint, Origanum Vulgare, Sekaiichihatsukoilov3r, any anonymous reader who reviews :), KoriryuVEX, and Cetacea-of-Time!**_


	13. Judging Jelly

**Disclaimer: **Don't own, only the plot and the idiotic OC's ~

**Word Count: **3,345

Sweet Jesus, I'm SO TIRED GAH. **So I have no idea what the crap I just typed**. So..uh..beware? Plus like all the way through it I was like in a tired trance and at the end I got in such a romancey (I just officially made that a word seriously guys) mood, so, really, does it make sense? No. LOL

Anyways, enjoy this awful brain failure ;-;!

…LOL THAT TITLE

* * *

Chapter Thirteen: Judging Jelly

_**Haruka**_

"Nagato…do you even know what you're doi-"

"Yes."

"But-"

"Be quiet."

"I don't think that attempting to jam it in there like that is gonna do anything…" I responded, shrugging slightly. "But whatever, you're the "god" here."

"I told you to shut up." He replied starkly.

"No you told me to-" I responded, but was quickly cut off by a horrifyingly grouchy Nagato, plus one of those glares that almost made me piss my pants.

"…Shut the hell up." This time his voice adopted that harsh, authoritative '_I'm-your-boss-and-I-own-you-dammit' _tone that he had used frequently at the beginning of this trip. I immediately canned my obnoxious blabbering and resorted to stroking Nagato Jr.'s shell affectionately. Yes, his name is now Nagato Jr.

Suddenly I heard the sound of pressurized water and glanced from Nagato Jr. to Nagato Senior. I began to laugh hysterically when the nozzle suddenly crumbled under the force he put into his attempt at jamming the faucet piece into it. Water spewed out of the shattered nozzle, even more so than before, to the extent that Nagato was completely drenched, his normally spikey hair now quite flat. He continued to stare emotionlessly at the water squirting out all over him.

"Give me the snail." Nagato commanded, glaring authoritatively at me with those bizarre eyes of his from his perch beside of the bathtub.

"What are you gonna do with him?" I inquired incredulously, my eyes narrowing to slits.

"Shove him in the pipe."

"_WHAT?! HELL NO!_" I shouted, darting out of the bathroom and clinging onto Nagato Jr. for dear life. I mean sure, he was just the correct size to clog the pipe, but hell no. What kind of snail caretaker would I be if I allowed him to do that? A damn cruel one.

I raced out of our room and out the main door of the inn, despite the gnawing feeling of intense hunger and fatigue. I can't even recall the last time I ate. I also have to find that old lady, mostly because I need a freaking shower and I just sorta dismembered ours.

I skidded to a stop outside of the inn, and came to the realization that that was the first time I had detached myself from Nagato's side. Ah well, I'll explain to him later why the hell I just randomly raced off to Kami knows where.

My head whipped from left to right as I searched for the face of the old lady in the bustling crowd of people. The aspen trees, that were almost completely surrounding me, swayed gently in the cold, autumn breeze, leaves of all colors neatly detaching themselves from its branches and floating in a gentle rhythm around me.

I was snapped out of my reverie by the feeling of Nagato Jr. crawling up my arm. Oh right. I'm supposed to be searching for that old hag.

Once again I managed to disregard the starvation and fatigue that was beginning to wear me down. After one last scan of the lively street before me, I stepped into the mass amount of civilians. I followed the crowd of people; completely unaware of where I was actually going, for my mind was in a daze I just couldn't seem to shake. I was only vaguely aware that I was being shoved towards the center of town, the giant aspen tree looming over everyone's heads and casting a shadow across almost all of the vicinity. There were only a few patches of light dappling the ground that had somehow managed to snake its way through the dying leaves.

Houses surrounded the square, along with what I assume is a medical clinic. There were various carts scattered around, with merchants shouting out prices and whatever the hell they were selling.

_Damn, I'm starting to wonder if that old hag _did _go to Hell_, I thought irritably. As if on cue, I suddenly spotted the old hag. She was in the center of a crowd of children, apparently telling some kind of story about the history of the village. I immediately shuffled towards the congregation of old hag and little brats.

"…Never judge others based upon mistakes made in the past. It all depends on what they decide to do in the present moment. People change." The old hag was blabbering to the children, who looked as if she had just spoken in a foreign language. She seemed to regard this fact and sighed heavily, but then her eyes wondered to me. I was perched beside a nearby aspen tree, watching the scene elapse before me.

"Oh! What a pleasant surprise! Come here, Haruka my dear!" The geezer called, heaving herself off of the log she had been perched upon, racing over to me and grasping my arm, dragging me over to the congregation of children.

"Hold on! What the hell are you doing! This isn't why I'm here!" I hissed as the hag practically chucked me into the congregation of children that were perched on the ground beside of the log.

"Nonsense!" The old hag chanted, beaming as she plopped down on the log. I inwardly cringed at the sheer presence of the snot nosed brats around me. They gawked at me, probably taking in my battered appearance since Nagato doesn't know when the hell to stop and sit down for at least a second.

"Who are _you_?" I turned my head slightly to the right to see a little boy glaring defiantly at me. He had black hair that was spiked in all different directions, kinda like Nagato's but shorter. His eyes were the brightest green I'd ever seen and he wore clothes similar to the farmers of the village, light brown baggy shirt and shorts. I easily returned the glare, my fists clenched tightly in a feeble attempt to restrain me from tearing the brat's arm off and shoving it down the little fucker's throat.

"The one whose about to rip your arm off and hit you with it." I snapped, my arms crossed arrogantly and my eyes narrowed to slits as I turned completely to face him. We were now positioned across from each other and I regarded that he had adopted the same arrogant pose as I, his glare never faltering.

"Like you would actually do it." He countered, smirking slightly.

"Oh? You think I wouldn't?" I snarled, slapping on my most sinister smile. I gently sat Nagato Jr. on my shoulder, watching, satisfied, as the brat's eyes tripled in size when I actually took hold of his arm and began to tug slowly.

_I would never actually go through with this…HA! Maybe I will! Look at his face! _I thought sadistically, but released my grip on his arm when I felt a sharp blow to the back of my head.

"Oow, he started it!" I complained. I jabbed a finger in the brat's direction, my voice high pitched as I rubbed the spot where the hag's fist had connected to the back of my head, in the same spot Daichi always used to playfully whack me at.

"Haruka, grow up. He's just a boy!" The old hag reprimanded, glaring slightly at me, disappointment dancing in her eyes. I raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as the disappointment faded away to be replaced by some sort of despair. "Teenagers these days…" The hag shook her slightly, but then allowed her gaze to travel over the congregation of children.

The boy continued to glare at me. I returned his glare steadily, my hand never leaving the spot on the back of my head.

"As I was saying earlier," The old geezer's gaze softened a great deal as her gaze travelled over the children. "Here, I'll break it down for you. Mistakes, I'm sure you already know the meaning of the word. Mistakes can be big or small, and no matter how large the mistake may be, there is always a chance to fix it," The hag's beady, black gaze rested on me during that sentence, but quickly travelled elsewhere after a few moments. "Just because a person chooses to do the wrong thing doesn't necessarily make them a bad person. In fact, their reason for choosing what they did could be what they think could lead to good, but they unknowingly chose the wrong solution."

…_Maybe this could explain the Akatsuki's motives. But, it doesn't really make sense if you think about it. Killing others for their power, that isn't right, and anyone in their right mind would believe that that's wrong. Oh, wait…_

A little girl with light blonde hair raised her hand, her eyes curious and confused.

"But Lady Chie, that doesn't make any sense. If they chose to do the wrong thing, wouldn't they know that what they're doing is bad?"

_So that's the geezer's name, Chie_, I thought, glancing at the hag before my gaze returned to the small girl.

"My dear Akiko, this isn't always the case. Haruka, why don't you give us an example of this? I'm sure you know a few." Chie's gaze flitted to me and she motioned for me to join her on the log. With one last sweep on the brat's around me, I reluctantly pushed myself up from the ground and joined the old woman on the log. I was perched on the left of the log.

"Um, well, I have no idea who the hell you are," I said, my steady gaze locked with the curious little girl's. I could practically feel Chie's glare burning a hole in the side of my head, probably for use of language around the children, but I chose to disregard it. "But think of it as this: you're attempting to find the best way to open a jelly jar, but you're not sure how to open it without damaging the jelly inside. So, instead of choosing to twist the cap off of the top, you decide that that's not the best way to do it, so you attempt to open it a different way. But, to someone else, the way that you're attempting to open it looks as if it is the wrong way to approach the problem, but you believe that it is the right way to open the jar without damaging the jelly. And when you do attempt to open the jar your way and you ruin the jelly that you believed you were protecting, you find that it was the wrong way to open the jar and now the jelly is ruined. This is the time that you should decide to fix your mistake, but it might take a great deal of time for the blood on your hands you may accumulated when following what you believed was right. Got it?"

After a few minutes of the girl's features flitting from curiosity to thoughtfulness and back, her expression finally decided to remain one of comprehension. She nodded her head slowly, smiling slightly. My gaze travelled to the other kids to find that their expressions had changed from muddled to comprehensive. I gave a triumphant smirk as Chie's gaze rested on me, transforming from skeptical to a soft stare.

"Thank you, Haruka-sama!" Akiko, the little girl that I had directed my whole jelly speech to, smiled up at me.

_OH KAMI! SHE CALLED ME 'SAMA'! _I thought, my smirk morphing into a wide grin at the honorific.

…_I could get used to that._

* * *

_**Pein **_

After Haruka had fled the inn, I had spent a span of ten minutes attempting to repair the shower, but finally surrendering after I had split the tub in half out of frustration. I stood and calmly exiting the restroom, trudging out of the room and heading for the exit of the inn.

It was then that I felt his presence in the reception area of the inn.

"Pein, what could possibly be the cause of delaying the capturing of the six tails?"

I paused, my gaze flitting to the receptionist's desk and to the man who was perched in the leather chair beyond it.

My eyes narrowed slightly.

"Haruka was injured. The capture will not be delayed much longer." I responded, my gaze steadily locked with his.

"Good, we cannot be delayed any longer than is mandatory. I've decided to assign Deidara to accompany you as to see that nothing…_unnecessary…_ occurs. He is estimated to arrive here tomorrow. Do not fret; he is still unaware of the truth behind who is running this organization."

I watched as Madara Uchiha shot one last skeptical look in my direction, his Sharingan flashing behind the eyehole in his bright orange mask, and disappearing as instantaneously as he had appeared.

_He knows of what occurred between me and the girl_, I thought, a bit frustrated by the imprudence of my actions. I began to walk towards the entrance of the inn. _Of all the members in the Akatsuki Madara could have assigned to scrutinize my actions, he assigns the youngest_. I sighed irritably, exiting the inn while searching the faces of the people in the bustling streets for Haruka.

I began to walk towards the center of town, assuming that she would have taken the most blatant route. I found that my assumption was correct when I spotted her sitting among an assembly of small children of about eight or nine years old, beaming. She was accompanied by the old woman, who was smiling softly as the children began to crowd around them.

Funny, I hadn't anticipated Haruka to enjoy the presence of small children.

"_ALRIGHT YOU LITTLE BRAT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR PROBLEM IS, BUT YOU NEED TO SHUT THE HELL UP!_"

…Right.

"_NOT UNTIL YOU TEACH ME EVERYTHING YOU KNOW! I KNOW YOU'RE A SHINOBI!_" A small boy with black, spikey hair similar to Yahiko's had demanded, jabbing a finger in her face.

"_YOU LITTLE FUCKER! IT IS TAKING EVERY FIBER OF MY EXISTANCE NOT TO SNAP THAT SCRAWNY LITTLE FINGER OF YOURS IN HALF! NOT ON YOUR LIFE!_" She countered, taking a step forward and yanking the kid up by the collar of his shirt.

I trudged calmly through the assembly of children, for they parted to allow me to pass through, and paused when I was directly beside of Haruka. The boy's green eyes widened considerably when his gaze met mine, while Haruka hadn't even regarded my presence for the angry tirade she was directing towards the boy.

"…_IT TAKES TIME TO LEARN…_what the hell are you staring at?" Haruka turned her head slightly and immediately paled when her gaze met mine. I stared down at her, my eyes half lidded and a small frown on my face. She smiled sheepishly at me and slowly released her grip on the boy's shirt.

"Um…I was just…" she stuttered, but then thrust herself around my waist and began shouting accusations into my chest.

"_IT WAS HIS FAULT, ALL HIS FAULT NAGATO. HE STARTED IT._" She complained, her arms tightening around me. Behind me I heard the old hag, that had given us a room at the inn, mutter quietly, "Just when I'd thought she'd finally matured somewhat."

"Wait, hold on! Old geezer, I mean, Chie!" Haruka detached herself from my waist (to my disappointment), and stood awkwardly in front of the old woman, whose name is apparently Chie. "Uh…I kind of dismembe- uh, I mean, left a _tiny _crack in the shower in our room at the inn, and now it won't work…"

Chie face palmed and sighed heavily.

"Follow me." The old woman muttered dryly and for the second time that day I found myself following the old hag. The children that had congregated around Chie were beginning to scatter to different places around the village, excluding the child that Haruka had almost strangled, who was sitting alone on the log, eyes downcast.

I disregarded the boy, my gaze travelling back to the old woman in front of Haruka and me. She had paused in front of a door that lay just to the right of the great aspen tree that stood in the center of town. She pushed the door open and gestured for us to follow her inside. Once inside, Chie shut the door behind us.

Her home was similar to the layout of the inn, with the fireplace directly across from the entrance, the kitchen and dining room to the left, and two bedrooms to the right. The walls were a dark brown color, along with the wooden floors. Haruka immediately made a beeline for one of the bedrooms, stumbling slightly. Soon after her departure from the room I heard a door slam in the nearest bedroom.

"I do hope you're taking care of her," Chie smiled sweetly, but there was some aspect of her persona that seemed a bit…off. She seemed to take on some kind of interest in Haruka, watching her every move and rigid whenever I ventured near her. It irritates me. "It appears that she has feelings for you, but do you feel the same for her?"

"Yes" was the first word that flashed in my mind. But how? Of course I don't feel the same way. I'm a god; she's an ignorant and oblivious imbecile, doing nothing but interfering with the path that I've already decided to follow.

_Maybe…_

I offered a small nod.

_What the hell am I doing?_

She eyed me curiously for a span of two minutes, her lips curled up in a small smile, before trudging off in the direction of the kitchen, calling over her shoulder, "Help yourself to anything in the kitchen and let me know if you need anything!"

…_That's a good thing._

* * *

_**Haruka**_

After the long awaited shower, I practically stumbled out of the bathroom, the room around me blurry, and face planted into the queen sized mattress located in the middle of the room, directly across from the bathroom. I barely registered that Nagato was perched on top of the bed, staring at the ceiling. Fatigue was finally beginning to wear me down, and I was quite astonished that I had even lasted as long as I had.

"Nagato…" I mumbled into the sheets, vaguely aware of my surroundings.

"What." He responded dryly.

"Help me." I complained, attempting to drag myself on top of the sheets, but failing miserably as I slid onto the floor in an exhausted heap.

After a few seconds of lying on the frigid, wooden floor, I felt sharp tug on my arm and then I found myself being dumped onto the bed.

"Sheesh, Nagato, you don't have to freaking drop me on here." I protested, attempting to push myself up into a sitting position. That ended in a failure also, for my arms shook and I collapsed backwards. "_Dammit!_"

Nagato returned to his previous position of lying on his back and staring at the ceiling, but when I had cursed his gaze travelled to me. I offered a small smile.

_Get closer to him._

Of course the notorious voice just has to return.

_No._

_You know you want to. Stop denying it, dammit._

…_Shut up._

Seeking the warmth of Nagato, I slid over to him and pressed myself against his side, 'cause dammit, this room is cold. Our gazes locked and I smiled sheepishly up at him, those bizarre, yet fascinating eyes narrowing slightly as he looked to be having some sort of inner conflict, but didn't protest.

I allowed my head to rest on his chest while one arm snaked its way around him and the other lay on top of his stomach. My eyelids began to droop as I felt him reluctantly wrap an arm around my waist and pull me even closer to him.

"Nagato?" I inquired, barely managing to keep my eyes open.

"…What." He opened one eye, for he had them closed.

"You still owe me ice cream."

I barely heard his reply of "…tch" before I allowed my eyes to shut, giving into the warmth of his body heat, and drifting off into dream filled slumber.

* * *

I've. Worked. On. This. For. Six. Hours.

Plus I'm so tired I have no idea what the flip is in this chapter, so consider this a symbolic filler or whatever.

I'M DYING. I SWEAR I AM.

Again, thanks for all your reviews guys; they mean a lot to me. Seriously.

I'VE HIT SIXTY REVIEWS. LET'S GET IT UP TO SEVENTY OMG :D ! DOMO ARIGATO GUYS! I'm glad you guys enjoy my brain fails :"D

DOMO ARIGATO FOR THE REVIEWS GUYS :D :

_**CreepySheepy, Loki7744, JaggerMania, TheNinjaOfEpic, Kristine, Dorkfish Hipsterframe, Lacry91, Vegan Vampy, 0Kuro Tenshi0, Princess thieves of heart,**__**DuckAnimePerson, Frozen Paint, Origanum Vulgare, Sekaiichihatsukoilov3r, any anonymous reader who reviews :), KoriryuVEX, and Cetacea-of-Time!**_


	14. The Melting of all the Doubt

**Disclaimer: **Don't own~

**Word Count: **3,428

Oh . My . Jesus.

I have had the WORST writer's block ever. I'm so caught up in school and such lately my head is about to explode plus I . just . can't . write.

SO PLEASE ENJOY THIS, UH, THIS…THING :D

**Please review~ C'MON WHAT'S SO HARD ABOUT HITTING A BUTTON AND WRITING A SENTENCE OR TWO D: **

* * *

"_We all carry these things inside that no one else can see, they hold us down like anchors, they drown us out at sea. I look up to the sky; there may be nothing there to see. But if I don't believe in him, why would he believe in me?"_

_-Chelsea Smile (from the song "Bring Me the Horizon")_

* * *

Chapter Fourteen: The Melting of all the Doubt

_**Haruka**_

"Nagato! Get the hell up! I'm starving, plus the festival is about to commence!"

I plopped down onto top of Nagato's stomach and continued to poke his face. I mean shit; this dude sleeps like a freaking corpse, barely even twitching or anything. It's actually quite disturbing if you ponder over it for too long.

I glanced out the window anxiously. I could already spot the soft glow of the lantern lights, for apparently I'd passed out at noon and Chie had woken me up a few minutes ago and alerted me that the festival was about to begin and that it was ten 'o clock at night.

My gaze travelled from the outside world to the small guest room that I hadn't really scrutinized due to my extreme fatigue the night when I had first entered.

The bedspread was a soft blue and the walls a light, modern looking brown. The floors were the average, softly colored dark brown. The bed is actually located right beside of the window, which made me extremely ecstatic.

"Dammit, Nagato!" I practically shouted, smacking him in the face.

Still no response.

_Nagato Jr., I believe it is now time to prove your worth_, I thought, my face blank as I pried Nagato Senior's mouth open and placed Nagato Jr. inside.

…No response.

_HOLY SHIT I KILLED HIM! _I thought, my mind in a frenzy as I violently shook Nagato Senior, all while Nagato Jr. crawled out of his mouth and left a trail of slime in his wake as he slunk down Nagato Senior's chin.

I paused as sudden realization flooded over me.

_Wait, isn't this what I want? This wasn't part of the mission, but damn, I think I just killed the Akatsuki leader with a snail. Hot damn. I'd thought I'd be muttering mockingly, 'who's the god now, huh?' when I pictured murdering him but dammit, he grew on me. I never thought I'd reveal my past to anyone other than Naruto, but then an S-ranked criminal leader barges into my life (alright, I kinda forced him into my life) and switches it up completely. Who am I? What the hell am I doing? I think I might…_

Nagato's eye twitched and I slightly tilted my head. Then one of his eyes shot open and I practically flipped off of him, crashing onto the hard, frigid, wooden floor. I had an odd feeling that this has freaking happened before.

"_DAMN IT NAGATO WHAT THE HELL?_" I screeched from the floor, shooting up from my position and pointing an accusing finger at him. "You fucking bastard! I know what you're doing!"

Nagato raised an eyebrow innocently while I glared Hell fire at him.

"You're trying to skip out on the festival, but hell no, you're coming with me!" I demanded, grabbing his hand and yanking him off of the bed. He allowed me to drag him out of our room and out of Chie's home.

I practically threw the door open and almost jizzed at the sight that greeted me.

Lanterns of all colors were strung all around the square and covering the great aspen tree that was perched in the center of the little town; soft shades of green, blue, crimson, yellow, and purple glowing invitingly. All around the square sat carts with merchandise ranging from masks to stuffed animals, to various types of food and candy. People were everywhere; either conversing or shouting at each other that they sold the best merchandise and to not buy from that bastard across the street from them.

I yanked Nagato into the center of the square, where I spotted Chie plopped under the great aspen behind of a medium sized fire, surrounded by about half of the village.

"Haruka! Nagato! Come up here and introduce yourselves!" Chie waved at us as I skidded to a stop beside of her.

"I don't know any of you bastards, but my name's Haruka! And this is Nagato!" I greeted, beaming at the surprised faces surrounding me.

"She has quite a mouth on 'er, don't she?" One of the people in the crowd spoke, a small smile on his face as he eyed both Nagato and I. I beamed while Nagato just stared at the man, his eyes forever half lidded.

"Unfortunately," Chie answered, sighing heavily and turning to face me, "Sit down you two. Since you're new to the village, you need to hear how it came to be. We want you to be part of our tradition." The granny smiled slightly as Nagato and I plopped down behind the fire, right in the middle of the congregation of villagers.

"You and your boyfriend are staying here, right? It's always nice to have new faces around the village." A woman whispered to me, looking to be in her late twenties. She smiled politely, her hair a silky black and her eyes a mystifying green.

My first reaction was to punch her face in, but then I began to ponder over her question. Obviously Nagato had heard it, for his gaze was set intently on my face, one eyebrow raised as if to say "_Do you consider us as that?_" For a while, my gaze was locked with his while I pondered just exactly what this whole mess meant.

_Does that mean…? That he…? Since when? How the hell did this happen? _

_He feels the same way but… damn it all to hell! __Why am I allowing petty emotions such as infatuation cloud my judgment? I'm on a mission. My village is way more important to me than an S-ranked criminal leader who wants nothing more than to dominate the world…_

But then my mind ventured backwards to the memory of that night under the Sakura tree, the full moon transforming that fiery orange hair to a softer shade, all the gaps between us filled, even just for a few seconds.

…When Nagato was just about to press his lips to mine…_thisfuckingclose…_

_Damn Zetsu. _

_**Pein**_

… _I am a god. I am the supposed leader of the Akatsuki. The world will be mine. There will be peace. Yahiko's dream will be fulfilled. My path is set._

Nearly every single piece of that thought process shattered, seeming so distant since I had met this girl. My patience had become astonishingly lenient since we had embarked on our journey and my self-control, along with better judgment, almost completely diminished.

As I gazed down into her beautiful, dark blue eyes practically glowing from the light of the fire, my emotions began to assemble into one issue that I couldn't, for the life of me, find a resolution for.

Denial seems so meaningless, for I can't shake this emotion that I can't quite place.

Love? Is that even the precise word for it?

No.

It is impossible for a god to love an idiot.

…_But perhaps I've strayed from that mindset._

_**Haruka**_

I shifted uncomfortably under the gazes of both Nagato and the woman, all of the conflicting thoughts flashing through my head in a span of one minute. Hell, this definitely isn't a predicament I'd thought I'd find myself in tonight.

"Uh…we're not staying here permanently…" I choked out and for perhaps the third time in my entire life I felt unbearably anxious. Damn, I swear his gaze is burning a hole through the side of my head. "…Just until we're ready to start travelling again, I suppose."

I shot Nagato a glance that posed the question, _"Right?" _He barely nodded, his focus completely averted to whatever the hell was going on in his head.

"That's good to know, it's a pleasure to meet you two!" The woman chirped happily, completely unaware that she had just dragged my emotions to hell and back. I nodded mechanically, slapping on a fake smile. I averted my attention back to Chie, avoiding eye contact with Nagato.

"Long ago, this village was originally the line of division for two rivalry clans," Chie began, her beady eyes focused on the blazing fire in front of us. "Both of these clans consisted of ruthless ninja; each willing to sacrifice their lives in order to gain the other half of the territory, which belonged to the opposing clan. Because of this merciless warfare, our village was also thrown into the bloodbath. Countless of innocent lives were taken, just for mere property and pointless conflicts that could easily be solved.

"There were two Shinobi who recognized the state of our village, each from opposing clans, never have they met each other. The man and the woman were both the rulers of the clashing clans, but never recognized that conflict is not always the right resolution to a problem. Until it was too late.

"No one knows exactly how they had met each other, but their viewpoints clashed with one another's. The woman believed that peace for the village would only be achieved through the bonds that we as humans share, through compassion. While the man believed that peace could only be achieved through inflicting an equal amount of pain upon everyone, so that they would understand each other and that conflict would cease. Once these two very different beliefs clashed in this very spot under the great aspen, the village and the innocent people who resided in our village were slaughtered in a gruesome bloodbath. Very few survived this great casualty, and the man and woman ruling the opposing clans were left standing in a pool of bloodshed that was entirely their burden. They only realized this when it was too late.

"In order to prevent such gruesome events from reoccurring yet again, the man and woman, both noble leaders of their clans, met at the site of the battlefield and came to a compromise: both clans would join together, get to know one another, and only then would they reach true understanding and love for each other. Also, each month a group of clan representatives would congregate and decide what's best for both villages. In conclusion, they had also come to the conclusion that it would be best if a festival was held each November in remembrance of the Great War, in order for each clan to remember to never allow history to repeat itself."

"That story ain't never gonna get old." One of the old men behind Nagato and I chanted as the crowd around Chie began to dissipate, but not before a few prayers were uttered.

"Damn, I'm starving." I complained as my stomach practically barked at me. I stood up quickly, my head whipping around for anything that looked even remotely good. My gaze rested on the ice cream cart that was perched at the edge of the clearing. "_OH KAMI THERE IT IS!_" I began sprinting towards the ice cream cart, dragging Nagato by the arm behind me.

"Hold on Haruka!" I skidded to a halt at the sound of Chie's desperate voice. If Nagato weren't so damn smooth he would probably be crushing me now, but he'd come to a complete halt right in front of me, tense as hell.

"What do you want, you old geezer? You almost forced Nagato to accidentally molest me." I shouted, a bit irritated, for I haven't eaten a thing in two damn days.

"Alright, you ignorant little brat, you up for a challenge?" Chie was grinning like an old badger that had just reeled in its prey; my eye twitched slightly. A few other people had gathered around her, each with a small crimson thread linking their arms together. They looked as if they were young couples.

"What the hell you old hag?" I inquired as she grabbed Nagato's left arm and tied it to my right. I glanced up at Nagato, whose eye twitched slightly as he contemplated what the hell the old hag had just done to him.

"The challenge is to remain tied to Nagato for the rest of night without breaking the thread. If you sever the thread, you are required to stay awake for two days straight," Chie stated, maniacal smile lighting up her features. "Oh and later on in the night, at about midnight, you need to report back to the center of town. That's when the celebration _really_ kicks off."

"Ah, hell, that's easy! You're on!" I exclaimed, attempting to trudge towards the ice cream cart but felt the strain on the thread and realized that I was still tied to Nagato. I heard a snicker from Chie followed by her muttering, "_This is going to be interesting._"

"Dammit, old hag! You just wait! You're little fucking thread isn't gonna stop us! We'll be back here at midnight with the thread still intact!" I chanted, dragging Nagato towards the ice cream cart, all while he muttered several profanities under his breath.

"Ah shush Nagato, it could be much worse~" I chirped, slowing down to his pace and leaning into him slightly. "I mean, our legs could be tied together and damn, that would just end up being hell." I glanced up to see a slight eye roll and a ghost of a smile. Hmm…

"Five scoops of chocolate ice cream on a…_OH KAMI YOU HAVE SUGAR CONES? HOLY SHIT GIVE ME!_" I was pretty ecstatic to discover that they have sugar coats. Very ecstatic. "Hm…I'll also need five scoops of strawberry in a…you like sugar cones? Yes you do—" I didn't waste a second to hear his answer. I can definitely tell that Nagato has some sort of secret fetish with sugar. It's so blatant. "Also, I'll need a snail cookie with that order of strawberry ice cream."

"Certainly," The middle aged woman manning the cart smiled politely at me, attempting not to laugh for some damn reason that I couldn't fathom. "And would you like sprinkles with that? They're each shaped like little tricycles. Just five more cents added to your total!"

"Oh, boy, would I!" I exclaimed, watching her hand _my _naked chocolate ice cream to Nagato and instead giving me the overly decorated strawberry ice cream with tricycle sprinkles and a huge snail cookie lodged into the top scoop.

"Um, lady, I hate strawberry. Nagato, give me my damn chocolate." I huffed, and glared daggers at Nagato when he just stared at me. He seemed kinda out of it.

"That's _his_? That just made my night!" The lady buckled over laughing, practically rolling on the ground in her hysterics. I raised an eyebrow and glanced at Nagato to see that his eye was twitching menacingly, while both were narrowed. Oh shit.

"Um Naga-" I was cut off by the sound of his voice, which had taken on a sinisterly calm tone.

"If you continue to scoff at my choice of processed dairy, then I will kill you." He stated in that deathly calm, _frightening-as-hell_ voice of his. The woman's laughter immediately ceased as her eyes tripled in size. She audibly gulped, her eyes so humungous it was almost comical as Nagato's gaze practically burnt a hole in her head.

Damn, shit goes down when you defy his dairy.

He slapped the required amount of money onto the top of the cart and stalked off, dragging me with him. Once we were a far enough distance away from the ice cream cart for the woman to hear us, I sped up to match Nagato's pace.

"Nagato? What the hell man. Since when the shit are you so defensive over ice cream?" I inquired, a bit astonished by his behavior. Something must've really pissed him off or something; he's never openly snapped at anyone other than me during this whole journey. Sure, he's the leader of the notorious Akatsuki, but if you've ever gotten to know him over a span of a week as good as I have, he'd just seem like a huge softy. Or maybe that's just to me, for some odd fucking reason.

"Give me the strawberry." He responded with his own inquiry and I immediately obliged, swapping ice creams with him.

Instead of happily devouring my ice cream like my stomach was screaming at me to do (and what I would most likely be doing if I was actually listening to logic, and if I didn't suddenly care about Nagato so damn much), I decided to ignore it for a minute, stopping suddenly beside of an aspen tree that Nagato had led us to, forcing him to skid to a halt so that the thread, that was now stretching thin, wouldn't snap.

The Akatsuki leader had led us to a random dirt path that was connected to the center of town. This path wasn't as immensely crowded as the center of town, and aspen trees heavily populated the area, even more so than the houses scattered about. I watched a lone, brown leaf disconnect itself from a tree branch and fall slowly to the ground.

He turned slightly, his glare penetrating. I inwardly cringed, gazing up at him with a small frown adorning my lips, my eyes harboring extreme concern.

"What's up with you?" I inquired, my voice sickeningly soft.

"Eat your ice cream." He practically commanded. I disregarded his order and continued to stare up at him in concern, plopping down in front of the aspen tree, forcing him to sit with me. His gaze was fixed on the dirt path in front of us, on each person that passed by every now and then. On everything but me.

Maybe I'm just a masochist, falling for a criminal leader. It's appalling to think about, especially because I was so fiercely loyal to Konoha, and now I seem to subconsciously follow Nagato _everywhere_. I mean shit; if he'd allow me I'd probably follow him into the fucking bathroom. Hell, I even support his plan of peace, but as much as it makes sense, it's just not morally sound. Peace cannot be forced upon people; in fact, nothing really can. We, as humans, are imperfect, stubborn, and most of the time just plain stupid. Peace that is forced upon a race such as ours will eventually sizzle and die out, nothing lasts forever. Absolutely nothing. Rebellion will eventually break out, fresh conflicts will arise for absolutely no reason as it usually does, and everything will come crashing down, leaving us to gather up the pieces, rearrange them, and hopefully create a bigger and better picture of what we believe will lead to true peace.

But there is no such thing as peace.

We'll continue to break each other until there is nothing left. Peace is just a fantasy created by our immature minds.

Of course, I've always contained hidden ambition that only Naruto was slightly aware of, but both he and I would never think I'd pursue my desires.

Shit.

_**Pein**_

"_Good, we cannot be delayed any longer than is mandatory. I've decided to assign Deidara to accompany you as to see that nothing…unnecessary… occurs."_

Madara's statement was evidently a warning; a warning that I had no intention of heeding until now. If I were to disregard to his warning, then he will more than likely slaughter the girl. I shouldn't care; in fact, I should enjoy watching the imprudent brat suffer. Of course, it's never that simple.

I avoided Haruka's stare of concern, instead focusing my attention on the dirt path before me and the occasional street goer.

"C'mon Nagato, tell me why you're so damn crotchety," Haruka inquired suddenly, pausing before adding, "…Even more so than normal."

I was torn between answering and just disregarding her question. Instead I decided to watch her reaction to my silence.

About a thousand emotions passed over her face; despair, irritation, frustration and an intense look of longing that somewhat surprised me. She finally decided to tear her gaze from mine and study the grass surrounding us.

_What the hell am I doing? _

_I can't give in to my desires. _

_I can't give in to my desires._

These thoughts slowly faded away as her gaze met mine yet again, dark blue eyes staring into mine pleadingly, lit up by the light of the lanterns strung around us. She seemed so innocent, not at all similar to the girl who had defeated Kisame just a week ago.

All of the doubts, all of the denial, and most of all, all of my self-control melted away as I began to lean closer to her, pressing my lips to hers…

"_DAMN, MY FUCKING ICE CREAM."_

"…Just shut the hell up." I snapped, leaning in yet again, and this time her lips met mine ever so softly…

XXX

GASP. ELIPSIS.

AND I LOVE THAT QUOTE AT THE BEGINNING OMG IT JUST PRACTICALLY FITS ERRRYTTHHIINNGG.

And sorry there's less Nagato POV in here, but eh, he's been getting all the stardom lately anyway. l:C

LOL THAT WAS A TOTAL ROMANTIC FAIL AT THE END. DAMN YOU HARUKA.

LOL, it was kinda hard to make this chapter serious when you're listening to Team Rocket's "Double Trouble" like the whole time, along with NeverShoutNever's song "First Dance". GAH I LOVE NEVERSHOUTNEVER :D

Ahem, uh, yeah, have a filler :"D Well I guess it's not a filler, cause they kissed. Heh heh. LOL WHERE ARE YOU ZETSU TO RUIN IT ALL?

LOL I DREW TOBI IN ENGLISH AND WHY THE HELL DID I JUST MENTION THAT. LOL I'M ABOUT TO EXPLODE INTO A THOUSAND RAINBOWS. :D

ALRIGHT ALRIGHT, I'MMA GO NOW SO I DON'T SCARE YOU GUYS. LOLOL.

**Please review, they mean SO SO SO SO SO SO SO much to me! **

Special thanks to all my reviewers~!

_**CreepySheepy, Loki7744, JaggerMania, TheNinjaOfEpic, Kristine, Dorkfish Hipsterframe, Lacry91, Vegan Vampy, 0Kuro Tenshi0, Princess thieves of heart,**__**DuckAnimePerson, Frozen Paint, Origanum Vulgare, Sekaiichihatsukoilov3r, any anonymous reader who reviews :), KoriryuVEX, and Cetacea-of-Time!**_


	15. Enter Deidara!

**Disclaimer: **Don't own.

**Word Count: **2,328 (eeh)

Gah, I got so much inspiration for this chapter xD But then lost it towards the end, probably because I figured out my cousin will be spending the night suddenly tomorrow.

And I really don't like him.

Oh well, enough of my rambling. Here's a new chapter~ Sorry it's kinda short heh heh

Please review~

* * *

_.:."There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment.".:._

_-Sarah Dessen_

* * *

Chapter Fifteen: Enter Deidara!

_**Madara**_

"This is going exactly according to plan." I muttered from my perch atop a tree branch that was out of the pair's vision field, my chakra signature masked.

"Why did you try so hard to convey the message to Pein to allow **such an insignificant girl to join the organization?**" Zetsu inquired, his black half finishing his sentence.

"The girl will lead the nine tails jinchuuriki right into our grasp," I responded. My gaze never left the pair as my lips curled up into a sadistic smile behind my mask. This will certainly be quite a show. "They're quite close, even best friends before she departed from Konoha. No doubt that the jinchuuriki's feelings for the girl haven't altered. I believe he's searching for her now, and when the confrontation commences, I expect Pein will deal with the situation appropriately. That is, unless…"

"**Unless what?**"

I watched as Pein planted a gentle kiss on the girl's lips. My grin only widened.

"His loyalties lie elsewhere."

* * *

_**Haruka**_

_WAIT, WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING? _

_Shit, there goes my ice cream. He knows I haven't eaten in two fucking days, and now he pulls this on me. What a bastard._

…_HOT DAMN I HAVE SKILL._

His lips met mine tenderly, warmly; not at all like I'd expected from the Akatsuki leader. An odd sensation filled my chest, causing my heart beat to spike, to the extent where I was starting to believe I was going to have a heart attack. This feeling wasn't foreign, but it was never this strong in the previous experience.

His lips lingered on mine for a few seconds longer, but then I felt him reluctantly pull away. I opened my eyes slowly and my gaze immediately locked with his. I'd never seen his gaze so open, so tender.

Those ripple patterned eyes. I've never really understood why one could possibly be intimidated by those eyes. They're way more freaking epic than creepy. If I could have those eyes…damn, children beware.

That was certainly an event that I hadn't expected to transpire. Most wouldn't expect that the Akatsuki leader kisses so softly, let alone someone like me. To him, I'm most likely just a loud, obnoxious, and overall unbearably annoying brat who doesn't know what the hell she's doing in life.

That statement happens to be completely and utterly true.

And he's to blame.

"Nagato…" I began, attempting to break the silence that now hung over us like a dark cloud. I hate silence. "Tell me…about your past."

"No." His eyes hardened a bit, and all the openness that I had witnessed just a few minutes ago evaporated. Damn.

"Dammit, that's not fair! I told you mine!" I muttered, my eyes narrowing.

"Life's not fair." He pointed out, his expression a small smirk.

"Fuck you!" I exclaimed, awkwardly attempting to shove him with my left arm. That stupid old geezer's gonna pay, tying us up like this.

"Tch." He offered, leaning back against the aspen tree, tense as his gaze hardened completely when it drifted towards the right, in the direction of the town square. I followed his cold stare and my eyes immediately narrowed.

"Does this belong to you?"

"You fucking old g-geeeeezer. Art is a…um…_ART IS…_Oh! _Leader-sama, un_! I know you~"

Chie came to a halt in front of Nagato and I as Deidara finished his sentence in a sing song voice, the old hag grasping Deidara's arm whilst he was staggering slightly and pointing at Nagato while laughing hysterically, eyes wide and completely glazed over. Practically the whole village had trailed Chie to our little aspen tree.

"How the hell…when the hell…where the hell…" I muttered to myself, glaring daggers at Deidara, who was obviously a tad bit drunk.

_Ha, a _tad_, he's totally stoned._

"At first, we were ecstatic for one of your friends, I am assuming based on the attire, to join us. But then the bartender accidentally offered him a shot of strong vodka and he began shouting at everyone that they need to "fuck each other" and that they didn't know that "true art is the beauty of that single fleeting moment before an explosion". Then, he completely shattered the arm of one of the village children, owned one of our best drinkers in a drinking contest, and exploded one of the bar stools with some sort of white substance. And then this…" the old hag gestured to Deidara, who smiled and waved at the old geezer. "…Happened."

"Leader-sama, tell this old geezer that I…uh…I want…what did I wanna do again? To…to…_bang_...yes, _bang_…that pretty mother fucker, un…" Deidara stuttered, pointing at me and looking quite pleased with himself for discovering who he would like to "bang".

My eye twitched rapidly as I couldn't peel my gaze away from Deidara. The villagers were also staring at the drunken artist, their mouths agape. My irritation began to bubble up to the surface as I jerked to my feet (inevitably dragging Nagato with me) and thundered over to Deidara, stopping as soon as I was directly in front of him, the stench of vodka excruciating.

"Fuck you Deidara! I will ne-" I was cut off as the blonde so rudely interrupted my very intense spewing of negativity.

"You wish, un~"

I attempted to control myself, really, I did. But when facing a masochist, which I had no idea that Deidara even _was_ a masochist, you can't escape the situation without a little blood on your hands. Their blood.

With a bit of chakra summoned in my fist, I sent it crashing into Deidara's cheek, causing him to fly backwards into the assembled villagers, who were quick to catch the drunk, their eyes doubling in size as I pursued the artist into the crowd. I halted in front of him to find that he was grinning maniacally. I raised my fist to whack the sorry bastard again, but stopped immediately when I heard Nagato's voice adopt the authoritative tone that I'd grown accustomed to.

"Haruka, that's enough." He ordered, his gaze stern, albeit the small smirk that still lit up his face.

Deidara's expression suddenly twisted into that of confusion as his gaze trailed over the thread tying my arm to Nagato's.

"Leader-sama, why're your arms tiieeeddd together, uunnn? I'm surprise you 'aven't kill-"

This time it was Nagato who whacked Deidara square in the jaw, the force of the impact forcing the crowd to part and the blonde to crash through several aspen trees surrounding the little dirt path. Deidara's body finally tumbled to a stop, crashing against an aspen tree and almost cracking the poor tree in half.

_Hmm…why _hadn't_ he attempted to kill me before our whole boss-to-underling relationship got all…whacked up? I mean, he's the leader. He could've just banished me from the organization, or, to have made matters much simpler, killed me_, I thought, a tad bit stumped as to how everything had altered so quickly. I watched how the villagers gawked at Nagato as if he'd just risen straight from Hell. _Ah, what the hell, least I'm alive. _

"Shit Nagato, you didn't have to hit him _that_ hard." I said, glancing up at him sternly. He shrugged lethargically, trudging in the direction of where Deidara had practically sprouted wings and flew. I followed behind him reluctantly, smiling sheepishly at the villagers, whose gazes were locked on Nagato's back, their mouths agape as if he'd whirl around in a millisecond and destroy them all. Everyone's expressions were that of intense fear, all except for Chie, who's beady, black eyes had narrowed, watching _me_ rather than the Akatsuki leader.

I halted beside of Nagato once we had reached Deidara's mutilated form. I actually felt pretty bad for the artist; he looks like shit. We have a pretty sadistic boss.

"You're such a bastard, un~" Deidara slurred, his body rocking from side to side before finally crashing to the ground. I looked to the blonde with a hint of concern in my expression when Nagato carelessly slung his body over his right shoulder and walking nonchalantly through the split crowd as if nothing had happened. I, however, halted beside of Chie (forcing Nagato to stop with me) and turned to face the baffled crowd.

"Uh…sorry everyone! Deidara's a little…you know? Stoned? So, don't take anything he says seriously," I explained, grinning sheepishly, especially at Chie, for causing her so much trouble. "Sorry if we ruined your festival, really, we didn't mean to. We had no idea that this completely idiotic bastard would show up…"

"Oh, don't worry about it, my dear," one of the elders from the crowd spoke up, her voice tiny. "We all have those friends. Plus, that was awfully entertaining."

_Friend? HA. _

"Really, it's my fault," a man with black hair that was slicked down and a neatly trimmed beard mumbled from the front of the crowd, scratching the back of his neck. I immediately assumed the man to be the bartender. "It's my fault he's drunk in the first place. I didn't mean to give him the vodka, really, I didn't. I guess I got caught up in meeting him and switched his order with another…"

"Would you look at that? I guess the festival will commence yet again!" Chie finally spoke, though her eyes expressed pure disappointment and her smile fake. "Haruka, my dear, I will allow, what was his name? Deidara? I will allow him to stay in my home as long as you and Nagato keep an eye on him; can't have him getting wasted every time he's faced with alcohol."

"Thanks a ton, old geezer!" I exclaimed, shaking her shoulders dramatically. "I'll make it up to you, I promise!"

"Make it up to me? Alright," Chie said, grinning widely. "You, Nagato, and the blonde idiot will have to do all the chores in the household tomorrow and up until you depart from here. I have important meetings to attend to so I do not have much time to waste on chores. Plus, all that work will pay off for the broken showerhead."

"…You get cooking duty!" I laughed maniacally as Nagato's eye twitched rapidly.

"Alright, it's about eleven thirty; care to join us at midnight for the final celebration of the night?" Chie inquired, her eyes glowing from the light of the lanterns.

I was about to shout a very ecstatic "yes", but Nagato cut in before I could utter a word.

"Thank you for the invitation, but we have important matters to attend to." Nagato muttered, gesturing towards Deidara's limp body. Chie's gaze rested on the blonde's body for a minute before proceeding to scrutinize Nagato's face. A minute passed before she nodded slowly, beginning to walk towards the town square with all the villagers in tow.

"Why is he here? And where's Tobi?" I whispered while we continued to trudge behind of the villagers.

Nagato just shrugged, his eyes glued to the backs of the villagers.

"Are you ever gonna tell me _anything_?" I inquired, my eyes narrowed.

"In time." He responded emotionlessly.

I didn't offer a reply to that bland statement, but instead my mind drifted back to Konoha. I began to wonder where my long time best friend, Naruto, might be.

_What if he finds me? What will I do then? I can't just go back to Konoha…there's Nagato and…the whole concept of finally granting the world peace. Or is peace what I'm really going for here? Am I just grasping at the privilege to finally control the world? My ambitions have never fully controlled my actions; in fact, my ambitions have never grown to this level. Everyone at home…what would they think if they heard of my ambitions? What would my brother think? Damn…what the hell am I doing? _

_But wouldn't my brother be proud if I assisted in granting the world peace? What if peace could actually be achieved? Through Nagato, perhaps the concept of peace isn't impossible. It's just looking at the problem of warfare and conflict in a different light. _

…_What's so wrong with that?_

* * *

_**Tsunade **_

It was an average night in Konoha. The owls were hooting quietly outside the window of my office in the Hokage tower despite the rain that was now in a downpour. The streets were empty with the exception of a few people returning from wherever they had been before the downpour had started. Shizune was persistent in her attempt at forcing me to do the paperwork that was accumulating in large piles atop my desk before I left my office for the night.

All was peaceful until the door to my office was thrown open and an ANBU Black Ops from the Hidden Mist thrust himself inside, soaked to the bone and followed by Shikamaru and Choji, their expressions that of despair.

"Lady Hokage, I have urgent news," The man said, his voice grave. "I encountered one of the Shinobi from your village and I believe her name is Haruka Akatsuka. She was clad in the Akatsuki cloak."

This news did not come as a surprise to me, but I decided to allow the man to continue.

"Proceed." I responded, my voice emotionless.

"There was an orange haired man with her, his face covered in piercings. The ANBU team managed to tie them up, but the orange haired man easily managed to sever the ropes and attack the team. Haruka Akatsuka assisted in the killing of one of the men," the ANBU continued. "All but one was killed."

_She assisted in the slaughter of one of the ANBU? She knew not to take the issue that far._

"Are you sure of this?" I inquired, my hands clasped in front of my face.

"Yes, Lady Hokage. And if I may, I would like to notify you of a request from Lady Mizukage." When I nodded, the ANBU bowed briskly and continued.

"The Hidden Mist would like to request that Akatsuka Haruka be incorporated into the official Bingo Book…"

* * *

Lol, when I reread the last part of this, I just don't even. xD Oh well, I have no idea

LOL NAGATO YOU REALLY NEED A POINT OF VIEW. I'm gonna make the next chapter a Nagato one. Cause you know, I haven't been doing that lately ;-; GAH.

I wanted to add more, but my brain was like _NO_. GOTTA STUDY JAPANESE. That phrase has been like flashing through my mind all day ;w;

I've got a general idea of what the ending may be, but I'm just making this up as I go guys eh heh. xD

Well, anyway, please review and thanks to all my reviewers~!

_**Akanohana, CreepySheepy, Loki7744, JaggerMania, TheNinjaOfEpic, Kristine, Dorkfish Hipsterframe, Lacry91, Vegan Vampy, 0Kuro Tenshi0, Princess thieves of heart,**__**DuckAnimePerson, Frozen Paint, Origanum Vulgare, Sekaiichihatsukoilov3r, any anonymous reader who reviews :), KoriryuVEX, and Cetacea-of-Time!**_


	16. This is War

**Disclaimer: **Gah, this is getting old. I obviously don't own~

**Word Count: **4,395

I'm back~ Sorry it took a while to update, I got lost on the path of life.

LolKakashiexcuse.

Plus I had little to no inspiration for this chapter. Didn't get many reviews at all, which is usually the driving force of my inspiration.

Well, here it is~

* * *

. Sixteen: This is War.:.

_**Pein**_

After I had tossed Deidara's limp, drunken body onto the queen sized mattress in the room Haruka and I share, the energetic kunoichi began to forcefully drag me into Chie's small kitchen.

The kitchen is sloppy. The pots and pans are caked with dust (I'm assuming there purpose is merely for decoration), the white roses in the center of one of the counters looks as if it wilted decades ago, and empty boxes of instant ramen was spread around the floor. I also noticed that the walls were wood and the floor white tile.

"Alrighty, Nagato," Haruka said, nonchalantly digging through the old geezer's refrigerator and pulling out excessive amounts of takeout. "Tell me why the hell that bastard is here."

"I assigned him to capture the three tails and I assume that he's searching around this area." I lied as I stood beside of Haruka, staring into the contents of the refrigerator that seemed to only contain takeout.

"You could tell him to go to hell." She muttered, dragging me to the small kitchen table to the right of the room that sits only three people and plopping down into a chair, inevitably forcing me to share a chair with her. The redheaded heathen began to devour the closest item of food, which happened to be a large bowl of leftover ramen.

"Tch, I could just tell _you_ to go to hell." I countered, watching complacently as her chopsticks were just about to eagerly stab into the only remaining slice of pork left in the bowl when they abruptly ceased, hovering over the piece of meat when my statement finally registered. She turned her head slightly, blue gaze drilling into mine. I began to hope that she couldn't possibly believe that this could even come close to intimidating, it's more…endearing…than anything.

"Oh really?" She said, a hint of mischievousness leaking into her tone. I raised an eyebrow but remained silent as she turned, wary of the thread binding our arms together, to face me. "Last time I checked, you decided to sexually harass my lips, so don't give me that shit~"

"Last time _I _checked, it's not harassment if you desire it." I countered, watching in satisfaction as her lips formed a hard line and she continued to glare daggers at me.

"You're a cocky little fucker, aren't you?" She resolved, her lips curling up into a grin as she shoved me lightly. I offered a lethargic shrug.

As Haruka began to voraciously devour the remaining boxes of takeout, my mind began to wonder to what our relationship would be like if I'd informed her of the life I've led. Would she be disgusted? …Would she leave? The idea of Haruka leaving absolutely repulsed me, albeit I knew that it shouldn't affect me and that she is just a part of the plan to lure the nine tails jinchuuriki into our grasp. I'd never noticed until now, no, I _denied_ the fact until recently, that I'd begun to deviate from the plan for this nuisance of a girl.

Why _had_ she joined the Akatsuki? She seems so innocent on the contrary to the other members of the organization. She loathes Deidara, she avoids Itachi (I'm assuming, since she was a kunoichi in Konoha, that the cause of this is the Uchiha massacre, and that she is unaware of the truth behind it all), Kakuzu frightens her, she defies Hidan, she and Kisame are neutral, she enjoys Madara's presence, and I don't even frighten her a bit, even as the supposed Akatsuki leader.

…This girl must have been dropped on her head.

"Are we going to that celebration at midnight?" She inquired suddenly, snapping me out of my reverie. "We've been here a while, ya know, and don't we have the six tails to capture? Plus, where the hell's Tobi? Shouldn't he be with Deidara?"

I noted that when she mentioned the capturing of the six tails, she tensed up slightly and her eyes adopted a small spark of despair. Odd.

"Have you ever considered that they may have momentarily parted ways to search separately?" I stated dryly, glancing at "Nagato Jr." (how Haruka had dubbed that filthy creature after me vexes me to no end) who was currently crawling up our linked arms towards my shoulder.

"Shit," she mumbled, popping a slice of pork into her mouth. "I actually kinda miss the guy. He was practically the only one in this damn organization that didn't want to throw my dead body into a cardboard box and ship it to another country via camel."

I resisted the urge to inform her that the "innocent Tobi" couldn't care less if she was shipped to another country "via camel". Besides, Kisame despises camels.

"Tch." I responded, watching her swiftly grab the last box of takeout and stare at it hungrily before her eyes darted to me and back to the takeout. I remained silent, my eyes narrowing. Before Haruka practically thrust herself into my life, I'd never been acquainted with someone so unpredictable and irritating, yet so…alluring (though, due to my vanity, I'd never voice this inconsequential fact out loud). I'd never experienced a feeling so…warm and so…inevitably inviting and no matter how many times I'd attempt to push this fact aside (damn, how I've tried), I just can't escape that awful, not so awful feeling.

Damn Haruka.

Damn "Tobi".

Damn this damn snail.

Damn angst.

Damn damnation.

Damn it all to hell.

I was suddenly snapped out of my reverie when I felt a sticky substance slide slowly down my face and proceed to smack onto the table, accompanied by Haruka's hysterical, hyena-like laughter.

Dumpling.

"N-Nagato…l-l-l-look at your f-face!" she managed to choke out between all the laughter. "I hate to…waste…such a…g-great dumpling but the…opportunity…oh Kami, oh Kami…was just…there!"

_Don't kill her Nagato, don't kill her Nagato_, I chanted inwardly, sighing heavily before decided to partake in her childish games, snatching the box of takeout from her hand and slamming the whole carton onto her face.

"_OH KAMI, MY EYES!_" she exclaimed as my frown slowly pulled up into a sadistic smirk. She managed to clear the rice from her eyes, though her face and clothes were still caked with the takeout. "_DAMN YOU NAGATO, IT'S ON NOW!_"

Then it happened. I could only imagine what the event would have looked like if it was in slow motion. There was a small tearing noise followed by a loud _snap_, causing Haruka to stop mid-flail, her eyes tripling in size as she gawked at the crimson thread that was now torn in half, lying in a heap between us.

"…I…I…you…it…the…SHIT!"

She managed to stutter before falling flat on her ass, staring at the string in horror, before shooting up and jabbing an accusing finger at me.

"_IT'S YOUR FAULT!_" She exclaimed, picking up the string and staring at it with humongous, sparkling eyes.

"Tch. You started it." I countered childishly, glaring at her indignantly.

"_DENIAL!_" She exclaimed before proceeding to throw open the refrigerator door and whipping out a carton of eggs, shouting "_REPENT!_" before dumping the whole contents of the carton onto my head.

"Oh shit." She breathed, feebly attempting to prevent her laughter from slipping out while regarding the murderous glare that I was sending her. My glare only intensified when the eggshells began to drop slowly to the floor.

"…If it makes you feel any better, Nagato Jr. got hit in the crossfire…" she managed to choke out, before breaking out into a fit of laughter, rolling around the floor while her cloak continued to acquire the leftover takeout that was strewn about the floor.

I glanced (glared) to my left to find that the snail was indeed caked in egg yolk, a stray eggshell covering its head.

My eye twitched.

* * *

_**Haruka**_

Oh damn, the look of the notorious Akatsuki leader caked with egg yolk and eggshell is probably the most hilarious thing I've ever witnessed.

…Next to the look of Sakura when I'd dumped hot coffee on her crotch. That was a…_accident_. I swear.

I ceased my hysterical laughter long enough to glance up at Nagato, who shot me that murderous glare that used to be the only emotion he'd express. The idea of going back to that relationship didn't particularly appeal to me.

"Ah, c'mon, it's not that bad; in fact, that look suits you." I said, holding back my laughter and being the most intelligent person ever, I trudged over to the irate, S-ranked criminal and threw my arms around his waist in a tight hug, snuggling into his chest. He quickly returned the hug and I glanced up to find that that cold glare had completely melted, replaced by soft gaze. _Ha_.

I beamed up at him, but it slowly turned down into a frown as I noticed that sadistic smirk was plastered onto his face again. It was then that I felt the back of my cloak lifted and then…

"_DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN!_"I exclaimed, practically jumping to the ceiling as I felt the ice cold water that I'd been downing while devouring my takeout drown my pants and basically freeze my crotch. "_FUCK, NAGATO, YOU EVIL GENIUS!_"

I detached myself from him and began to smash my ass into the refrigerator in a feeble attempt to release the water from where it really doesn't belong.

For a millisecond, all thoughts of my frigid crotch faded from my mind and I paused mid-ass smash, despite my damn dripping pants, and for the first time, ever, and I mean _ever_, Nagato _laughed_. You know, genuine laugh, instead of that "tch" he usually does suggesting that he's fake amused. Oh my Kami. His laugh is deep, silky, like one of those laughs that you never want to stop 'cause it just sounds so…amazing.

Maybe it was the irony of it all.

"…What?" Nagato inquired, regarding the fact that I was gawking at him.

"Is that egg getting to your brain? I didn't know you had a sense of humor~" I chirped, disregarding the fact that he's a sadist. I wonder why that's not surprising.

"…Tch."

"There you go again."

"Shut up."

* * *

_**Yamato**_

After blindly racing after Haruka's chakra signature for a tedious span of a day and a half, it somehow led us in a wide circle around the forest. Facing fatigue, our little party decided to stop at an inn by the name of "_Red River_".

Upon entering, the old woman perched behind the desk shot up, hurling the book that she had been reading right at Naruto, which proceeded to smack right into his manhood. His face twisted in pain and he shouted a quick "_What the hell old geezer?!_" before crashing to the ground, twitching madly.

"So he _does _have a penis." Sai stated, nodding his head slightly at this fact.

"Sai, you bastard, shut the hell up!" Naruto strained from the floor, shooting Sai a death glare, to which the pale boy replied with a phony smile.

My gaze trailed from the feuding pair to the old woman behind the desk, who was squinting at Naruto and readjusting her glasses. She shot up suddenly, rushing over to Naruto and attempting to help the blonde up.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! You look exactly like that man who stayed here the other night with that red haired girl…"

Naruto's ears visibly perked up as he shot up, surprising the old woman, and before he could interject, I placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him from the inevitable future outburst. The teen shot me a pleading glare before looking away. After all, there are other people who have red hair other than Haruka.

"Do you remember what they looked like?" I inquired the old woman, who readjusted her thick glasses again, her eyes squinting and brow furrowed in concentration. After about two minutes that consisted of Naruto impatiently tapping his foot against the wooden floor, the old woman's face lit up and she began to speak.

"Oh yes! Now I recall it!" the old woman exclaimed, appearing to be quite proud of herself. "They were both clad in these odd black cloaks that had a pattern of red clouds. There was a redheaded girl that had quite the colorful vocabulary, along with a stoic man with the same hair style as this young man's here," she pointed at Naruto, who was now practically right up in the old woman's face, his eyes huge, "…Except his hair was orange and his face was covered in piercings."

_So she made it into the Akatsuki…quite impressive. But what else could I expect other than the best? She's _my _student. I wonder how she's doing now though…And that one man that she was travelling with…I don't believe we have any data that fits the description of that man…_

_Just what exactly are they after?_

"Hold on, old hag!" Naruto interjected suddenly, his expression gravely serious.

"Yes?"

"_Did she have her nails painted?_" Naruto inquired slowly, stressing each word. If it wasn't gruesomely out of character, I would have face palmed.

"I don't believe she did…" the old woman trailed off at the end of her sentence, obviously pondering over whether or not Haruka had had her nails painted. "Oddly enough, the male did…"

"_Ha! _She'd never take it that far!" Naruto shouted, as if to prove something. I shook my head, sighing, albeit the small smile that had managed to creep its way onto my face. She must be doing well if she had come out of the inn alive.

"You know the girl? Someone oughtta give her a whooping, throwing those keys at me like that! She needs to be taught some respect! Whoever was her teacher failed miserably in that area!" I sweat-dropped as Naruto and Sai's gazes drifted to me, Naruto with a wide "_ha ha, she just went there_" grin and Sai with that fake smile of his.

"…Do you happen to know where their destination was after they left?" I inquired, quickly changing the subject.

"They didn't say," the old woman replied politely before her smile faded and her expression became stoic as she leaned slightly towards Naruto. "I get a bad feeling about that man; he seems as if he's filled with darkness. But that girl…I'll bet she can be the light that can guide him in the right direction, but only if she is willing to remain in the light herself."

"…What?" Naruto inquired stupidly after a moment complete silence.

_What does she mean by that? Surely Haruka would never deviate from the path of goodness. I've always set a good example for her and I have the upmost faith in my student._

"Get a room or get out." The old woman said, disregarding Naruto's inquiry.

"Alright, you ol-" I immediately cut Naruto off, too tired to sit and listen to an argument that would more than likely last all night long.

"We'll take one room please." I said politely and the old woman nodded, readjusting her glasses and grabbing a key from the pegs that jutted out from the wall before leading our little group down a small hallway. She halted at a door with the number fifteen printed on the dark wood, turning around and allowing me to drop the money into her hand. She smiled politely before scurrying back to the receptionist desk.

I entered to the room, regarding that everyone else in the group had set up their sleeping bags. Naruto seemed to be better than I had expected, nestled in his sleeping bag, arms behind his head and lost in thought, Sai perched atop his own sleeping bag a few inches away from Naruto's, and Utakata leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the room, blowing…those bubbles.

I began to spread out my own sleeping bag and just before I was about to _finally_ slide into the damn thing, I peered out the window, seeing some sort of blob flying towards the window. I immediately raced over to the window and swung it open, and right as I did so, a loud _smack _reverberated throughout the room, capturing the attention of Naruto, Utakata, and Sai. I raised an eyebrow and reluctantly reached around the window pane and peeled the…messengerbird…right off of the glass, turning around and grinning sheepishly at the others present in the room. The bird flailed viciously under my grip and I released it after I had removed the document from its talons.

_Damn, this is just…embarrassing_, I thought as Naruto began to laugh hysterically, pointing at me and shouting between laughs, "_LOOK AT HIS FACE!_" I shot the blonde a glare before averting my attention back to the small document. I carefully unrolled the scroll and began to read.

_Captain Yamato, _

_Due to a request, no, that bastard __demanded__, that I incorporate Akatsuka Haruka in the Bingo Book. I've no other choice; I was informed that she had assisted in the slaughtering of five Hidden Mist ANBU Black Ops. Only one lived to tell the tale. I want to avoid a conflict with the Hidden Mist Village at all costs, and Haruka is well aware that she should never take a mission that far. I understand that this will affect Naruto's better judgment, so I need you to send him back to the village. I don't believe that Haruka would do this on purpose; she was probably avoiding a skirmish with the Akatsuki and made a narrow minded error, as she usually does. I'm sure that if I explain to the Mizukage the whole story, we can remove Haruka from the Bingo Book, but remember that that asshole is not exactly the prime example of cooperative. _

…_Do not let Naruto see this at all costs. _

_Tsunade_

By the time my eyes had trailed over the last sentence of the document, they were already bulging out of my head. _My _student. Assisted. In. The. Murdering. Of. Five. ANBU. Black…Ops. I almost fainted, but that would be gruesomely out of character as well, especially for an ANBU Black Ops.

"Captain Yamato, you alright? You look strained." Naruto inquired, tilting his head a bit before darting over to me, attempting to read the document over my shoulder. I quickly rolled up the scroll and shoved it in my pocket.

"It's nothing important," I said curtly. "Just an update of what's going on in the village."

I was relieved to find that Naruto's incredulous gaze had disappeared, though Sai and Utakata didn't appear to be convinced. I shot them a glare that clearly stated, "_You better not say anything_" and both the pale boy and the bubble blower nodded slowly, slipping into their sleeping bags. Naruto mimicked Sai and Utakata, returning to his earlier position of deep concentration.

As I slid into my sleeping bag, my mind wondered to my reckless student.

Haruka's always had _respect-for-other-people _issues. Sure, she respects me, as her sensei, and her friends, but to any stranger, she can act a bit out of control. I've attempted to solve this problem for a long while, but after many failed attempts, I was led to the conclusion that it is just downright impossible.

She also tends to act on an impulse and deviate away from her mission completely. This is almost always due to emotion and what she perceives as the right thing to do, which usually ends up in disaster. This is another issue that I've attempted to fix, but it's nearly impossible to change Haruka's mind once she has her sights set on something. Perhaps she adopted this habit from Naruto, for those two are practically glued to each other whenever they aren't on a mission.

Lady Tsunade is well aware that placing those two on the same mission can be both advantageous _and_ dangerous.

Naruto and Haruka work magnificently together, their teamwork almost never failing to complete the mission with ease. But at the same time, both of their emotions thrown together usually results in one hell of a disaster.

…But surely she wouldn't act so reckless around the Akatsuki…?

Of course she wouldn't…I taught her better than that.

As I began to drift off to sleep, I didn't feel the little tug of something in the process of being pulled out of my pocket…

* * *

_**Naruto **_

I gripped the document that Yamato had attempted to hide from me, almost tearing the thing to shreds. Grandma Tsunade knows just how much Haruka means to me and she commands Captain Yamato to hide something so important from me. That's just like Grandma Tsunade, though.

I crumpled the document and chucked it at the wall, watching it plummet limply to the floor. I then proceeded to throw open the window and plopped down on the window sill, staring out into the frigid, late autumn night.

It shouldn't be like this. I refuse to believe that Haruka would assist in murdering five ANBU Black Ops. That's not like her. She would never.

She's been my best friend for a hell of a long time and also the one who was always there for me, even when Sasuke had left the village and I had chased after him for so long…She was the one to save me from myself, as well as Iruka, before Kakashi-sensei, Captain Yamato, Sai, Sakura, Shikamaru, Hinata, Kiba, Shino, and even Sasuke.

I can't just allow her to leave, to fall into that abyss of darkness that Sasuke has fallen into. I'll save her, no matter what it takes.

…Believe it.

* * *

_**Haruka**_

I peered into the kitchen, my eyes darting around the disaster zone that Nagato and I had created. There were eggshells, egg yolk, sugar, rice, pork, noodles from my miso ramen, and water covering the floor that used to be a brilliant white. Somewhere along the way of this little food war (yes, it's so extreme it's far past the level of food "fight"), we had been whacking each other with pancake mix, so now our cloak's are practically white, along with the rest of us.

_So far so good, I don't see him..._

I'd had to venture back to the kitchen so I could restock my ammunition, but obviously Nagato had claimed this whole area and I had to sprint out of the line of fire with what little I could hold.

_Damn Nagato, _I thought. How he can repel everything I throw at him is just astounding. Shit, it must be those eyes. What else could it be? He doesn't move a muscle and everything just pelts back at me. It's so damn epic; I almost fainted when I saw it. No, it was not because I was startled shitless.

He took the moment of weakness as an opportunity to chuck a whole bag of cinnamon in my face, causing me to stumble backwards into the trap he'd set: the rest of the kitchen floor covered in banana peels. I will never eat a banana ever again.

That bastard is a mastermind at food wars. It's not surprising, considering how he's running a criminal organization. If he wanted to, he'd probably find some way to blow my head off with a cornflake.

My eyes focused on the refrigerator as I readied my shield, throwing the quilt over my head, and with one last glance around the area, I shield my face yet again and sprinted into the kitchen much like a headless chicken.

I felt myself beginning to slip through all the mess around me, blindly racing through the kitchen to Kami knows where. I thought I'd memorized the landscape, but my account of it had been gruesomely inaccurate. I stumbled, slipping on something that felt like a banana peel under my shoe. Those damn bananas are just out to get me.

…Maybe I should've cut eyeholes.

I suddenly collided into something that felt like a freaking metal wall. It was warm. It caught me.

"Holy. Shit." I muttered, allowing my body to go completely limp.

"Tch, caught you." He said, the sadistic smile apparent in his voice. Suddenly my protective barrier was whipped off of my head and it was my turn to smile sadistically, for I had the bucket. Not just any bucket, _the _bucket. He noticed this and I watched as his eyes widened a tiny bit before he swiftly pulled out a bucket of his own.

_HOLY SHIT BALLS HE'S PREPARED FOR EVERYTHING! _I thought, inwardly panicking as I stared up into those gorgeous, ripple patterned eyes that seemed to gleam evilly.

And then, as if on cue, both of us simultaneously slammed our own evil buckets onto each other's heads, the contents of his much different from mine. His contained…

"_CHICKEN FAT?! WHAT THE HELL!_" I shouted through the disgusting contents, the taste invading my mouth as the grease dripped from the bucket whilst I darted blindly around the kitchen, pelting right into the refrigerator and teetering from left to right before crashing to the ground. Ow.

"Strawberry frosting and sprinkles in the shape of the phrase "_you're an asshole_"." Nagato stated dryly from somewhere across the room. He didn't sound impressed.

It was true, I wasn't even aware that they made such epic sprinkles.

"Dammit Nagato, get this bucket off my head." I spluttered from inside the contents of chicken fat. I felt a sudden bit of pressure and the bucket was removed. I took a huge breath, the air finally chicken free.

"I say we sign a peace treaty." I muttered, a sudden wave of fatigue washing over me. If I had a white flag, I'd be waving it violently.

"I wasn't aware that you surrendered so effortlessly." Nagato said, a genuine smile plastered on his face.

"You're too good, just put me out of my misery." I mumbled tiredly, my eyes half lidded as I stared at him from my awkward position. My shoes were facing upwards towards the ceiling, my legs pressed against the refrigerator door and my back against the floor.

He responded with his signature "tch" before gently dragging me into his lap. I pressed myself closer to him, my face buried in his pancake mix and frosting covered cloak, my arms wrapped limply around his neck. He's just so warm.

"Haruka."

"Hm?"

"I win."

Of course, the bastard had to use my own little victory verse.

* * *

I was SO lazy at the beginning of the chapter, but then I started to actually enjoy writing this chapter so…yeah.

Pein just totally jacked her "I win" line~ Isn't he clever? xD

Anyways, please review and I guess I'll see you next time~


	17. It's Your Choice

**Disclaimer: **Don't own~

**Word Count: **5, 830 (oh, the things I do for you guys xD)

Eh heh, this is so late. Sorry guys! I've been helping this old lady for the past two weeks…Obito reference, anyone? :D

Annnyywaaayy, this is a long chapter, just to make up for the wait. D: Gomen nasai!

I've had an **awful writer's block** lately and it took me a looonngg time to get around to finishing this chapter. The completion of it was just such a long process and I've been thinking about the ending of this. **I've deviated from my original plan so I'm kinda trying to think of an amazingly happy ending (cause I'm a sucker for them extremely happy endings~) If you have an suggestions, feel free to tell me~ I don't bite. Seriously, that's nasty.**

Don't know what else to put here so I'll just say…Zetsu. Just. Zetsu.

**Please review~**

* * *

_.:. _"_Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye." .:.  
_** -H. Jackson Brown, Jr.**

* * *

Chapter Seventeen: It's Your Choice

_**Haruka**_

I awoke to a sharp whack to the back of head, my eyes snapping open and my vision blurry. I was only vaguely aware of my surroundings as I pushed myself up into a sitting position, as I had been face planted in the soft…grass?

My eyes made a quick sweep of the clearing around me. It was just a grassy clearing with trees towering around me and random, colorful flowers dotting the ground here and there. The sun was just setting; the sky a canvas of mixed colors ranging from deep oranges to light pinks and casting a brilliant glow on the forest below.

"Damn, I could've sworn I'd passed out on Nagato's chest." I muttered to myself, my eyes fixed on the sky.

"You did."

That voice. That voice so full of smugness, yet filled with pride and overflowing with love.

I felt my throat tighten and my eyes grow as wide as saucers, tears threatening to spill from my eyes.

"…Daichi?" I barely managed to get out as I swallowed the lump in my throat that I hadn't even noticed had developed. Why the hell do I always experience these dreams? As soon as I finally believe that I've escaped the pain that used to plague me, it returns with a vengeance. I'll never get a break, will I?

My gaze trailed reluctantly from the sky to my brother, who was perched across from me, leaning against a tree with his legs crossed. For some reason I thought that in death he'd appear completely different, but he was exactly the same as before he had been murdered. He still had that messy brown hair that spiked in all different directions and those piercing green eyes that always harbored that childish glow but still contained so much knowledge.

I also recognized that tree that he was perched against to be the tree that I had found his body beneath…and this was the same clearing…

"Dammit Daichi." I muttered, the tears streaming from my eyes. I didn't even attempt to suppress them this time. I heard my brother chuckle slightly, a bit of sadness tainting his laugh. My head shot up as I glared at him. How the hell can he just sit here and laugh at me? How the hell could he…leave me like that?

"I'd thought you'd be ecstatic to see your brother," Daichi chuckled slightly, that goofy grin plastered on his face that closely resembles Naruto's. "Guess I'll just emotionally scar you one more time, huh?"

"…What the hell happened Daichi," I murmured, my gaze downcast as to avoid those piercing green eyes that could always see right through me. "Those ANBU…they wouldn't tell me…they wouldn't fucking tell me." More tears.

"Oh Haruka, as emotional as ever I see," he responded, his grin fading as he looked to the sky, appearing to be contemplating something. "I've noticed your new boyfriend; I don't necessarily approve," he smirked at this, eyes sparkling teasingly. "Didn't know you were into the know-it-alls."

"Don't change the subject, you twit!" I snapped as our gazes locked yet again. "How could you leave me like that? Dammit, you knew it would happen, didn't you! Do you know how many years I've contemplated over how the hell someone could kill a person like you? How you died? Why I was so dejected? Why, until six years ago, all I had was Naruto and Iruka?!" My voice began to raise, anger from all of the years of hurt bottled up inside of me finally releasing itself from the walls I had built around it to force it to remain contained. "Dammit, just tell me. The ANBU refused to disclose any information on the issue! The Third Hokage would just shake his head when I'd demand an answer! Everyone…they ignored me! I deserve to know how my fucking brother died!" I hadn't realized that I had unconsciously thrust myself at my brother, my hands grasping at the collar of his shirt as I snarled my grievances in his face.

"I must have been a terrible influence, that language of yours still hasn't improved," Daichi said, his voice never wavering as he chuckled. This didn't come as a surprise to me; he's always been so vague, but now's not the time to just blow me off. I need to know after all of these years of hurt, of anxiety, of fear. "Little sister, does it really matter _how _I died?"

"Hell yeah!" I shouted, shoving him away and crossing my arms indignantly, which caused him to laugh again.

"You still have a lot of maturing to do," Daichi stated, a small gleam in his eyes as he laughed, smirking teasingly. "Maybe your boyfriend can help you with that."

"Just what the hell is your fascination with Nagato?" I inquired, throwing my arms up in exaggeration.

"Can't your big brother be interested in your love life?" He inquired, beaming brightly before his face grew serious for the first time in our little conversation. "You've surely noticed how odd his eyes are, right? Or have you gone blind?"

"Yes…but I've never thought much about it," I said, one eyebrow rose while I watch Daichi shake his head. "What about them? I assumed it was some sort of kekkei genkai, but hell, I dunno. Like in that food war we had; he fucking repelled everything I threw at him…"

"Those eyes of his are called the rinnegan, Haruka." Daichi stated, returning to his original perch of his back against the tree, one knee bent and the other sprawled out in front of him. I scooted closer to my brother, leaning in slightly in anticipation. I've always wondered what those eyes do…they couldn't just be for decoration, though they would make quite a pretty embellishment…

"Haruka, don't zone out on me; this is important, dipshit." my brother sighed, snapping me back to…um…non-reality? I muttered an almost inaudible sorry before Daichi began to explain.

"The Rinnegan is said to be the most powerful of the three ocular kekkei genkai," he began, looking to the sky again. He's always had a habit of doing that. "I would hope that you already knew that the three ocular jutsu consists of the Byakugan, the Sharingan, and of course, the Rinnegan. The holder of the Rinnegan has the ability to master all five chakra transformations as well as control the tailed beasts. It also allows the user to see chakra; and as you witnessed, repel any attack that's thrust its way using a technique that's called Shinra Tensai."

"Hot. Damn." I breathed, feeling as if my eyes might pop out of my head. Daichi snorted at the look on my face and I shot him a glare.

"That's not all of the abilities that are possessed by the Rinnegan, but the rest you're soon to discover on your own." Daichi said, folding his arms behind his head.

"Why're you telling me about the Rinnegan? And you're not…disappointed…in me for joining the Akatsuki? I'm not even sure what I'm doing anymore…"

"You tell me, little sister. Should I be?" He inquired and I tilted my head in confusion. "Think Haruka (do you even do that?), is this what you want?"

"But what I want has nothing to do with my question!" I exclaimed, almost toppling over as I leaned forward, hanging onto every word my brother says.

"Ha, look at you! Actually attempting to listen to what I say! This is an epidemic!" Daichi cried in mock astonishment, earning a glare from me. My brother chuckled again before ceasing his laughter while a small, fond smile lit up his face as his green gaze travelled to the sky yet again. "You've always rushed into things without stopping to think. I can't tell you how to live your life forever, little sister. Hell, I don't even know how I appear in your dreams. All these years…it's been frustrating watching you from a distance and not having the ability to do anything about the decisions you make. But now I've realized that I can't change anything anyway; it's your life, little sister, and it's what you choose to do with it. Do what you think is right. For yourself, your comrades, your village, your "boyfriend", and hell, maybe even that damned organization that you've decided to spontaneously join. Do what _you_ think is right. Maybe then, and only then, I can rest in peace with mom and dad."

"But how the hell can I benefit the Akatsuki and my village at the same time? That's just damn impossible! They're beliefs, their goals; it's all opposite! How the hell can one just change that?" I shouted, my frustration growing.

"Impossible? Tch!" Daichi growled, his lips pressing into a hard line. "Stop and think, dipshit. What you're saying is that it's impossible to change a band of murderous criminals, correct? Maybe you should retrace your steps and look at what exactly you've accomplished."

"Daichi, I haven't done a damn thing!" I countered, sniffing and crossing my arms childishly.

"Watch the language, dammit!" He hissed, shooting me a reprimanding glare. That damn hypocrite. I watched as his gaze morphed from frustrated to calm, all in a span of a minute. He's always been pretty skilled at that. "…Little sister, it's time for me to leave, though I do have one last request for you."

"…Don't go..." I choked out, my eyes fixed intently on the soft, light green grass surrounding us. "I miss you."

"You'll see me again someday," my brother smiled, tilting my chin up so I was forced to meet those piercing green eyes. "I just want you to think Haruka, about what you truly want. This might sound hypocritical, but don't think about the village; consider yourself for once. Figure out Nagato. There's more to him than you could ever possibly believe. Also, don't stress over what mom and dad think, they're proud. Trust in your judgment, for you harbor the ability to change people. Think of what you've accomplished so far and fix your mistakes. Look at the map."

"…Map?" I inquired slowly. The only reply I received was the goofy grin plastered on his face.

"See ya, little sister," Daichi said, and for the first time in my entire life, I saw a single tear slide down his face as he pulled me into an embrace. "…I love you, dumbass…"

"Thank you…" I murmured, the flow of tears ceasing as I felt a surge of pride and reassurance. I felt my brother's bright aura begin to fade as I managed to choke out the last six words that I would ever utter to my brother.

"I love you too, fat ass…"

My brother's light chuckle danced around in my head as I jolted awake…

* * *

_**Deidara**_

I feel like shit.

These were my first thoughts as I sat up, my vision blurry as I squinted at my surroundings. I was immediately met with the sight of a beautiful blend of neutral colored walls, all brought together by this magnificent, white bedside lamp. I gently picked up the lamp, noting how carefully handcrafted it was, with the little snails delicately carved into the body of the lamp.

It's only missing one minor detail.

"Katsu!" I exclaimed, watching in satisfaction as the lamp exploded and its ashes scattered delicately to the ground. Ah, the joy of explosions.

For a span of about five minutes, I continued to sit on the bed, my eyes glazed over as I stared blankly at the opposite wall.

Where the hell am I again?

The last thing I can remember clearly of the previous day was Tobi informing me that Pein-sama needed my assistance…something to do with that damn hoe that's accompanying him in capturing the six tails?

I brought a hand up to push aside the fringe covering my left eye, but as soon as my fingers made contact with my face, a searing pain shot through me, causing me to grunt and immediately retract my hand. I could also feel a slight pain in my back as well.

…Practically everything hurt like hell.

_What happened last night? _I thought grudgingly as I shifted uncomfortably on the bed.

I finally shrugged nonchalantly; deciding that whatever the hell happened can't be helped, and trudged to the door at the other side of the room and pushed it open. Apparently this is supposed to be some sort of living room.

I stared blankly at the mess before me; ramen, rice,_ is that pancake mix?_, frosting, chicken grease, egg residue, and sprinkles that clearly state "you're an asshole." Damn, those are some epic sprinkles.

What I wasn't prepared to witness was what sat before me in the kitchen. The same shit littered the floor in this room as well, and perched almost dead center in the kitchen was…

"Holy mother FUCKING LLAMA ASS, un!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms up in the air in exaggeration before sprinting towards the atrocity before me.

My whole thought process goes as follows:

"_Holy tits, how could someone do this to me."_

"_Did I leave the stove on before I left the base?"_

"_Damn, I think I did."_

"_Whoa! That must be the hoe-diddy!"_

"_Didn't know Leader-sama was into redheads."_

"_Oh shit, I met her before. She's the bastard who owned Kisame. Then I stole some of her kunai."_

"_I mean borrowed."_

"_Was that her name, Haruka?"_

"_Quite a bitch indeed."_

For my finale, I pried the bitch and Leader-sama apart before tripping and crashing onto my stomach, continuing to slide across the filth littering the floor (all while completely disregarding the searing pain shooting through my body) and finally reaching my target—the spilt bakudan located directly behind the hoe-titty and Pein-sama. I gingerly grasped the bowl that had once contained the greatest food in the universe and whipped around, glaring camel stampedes at the pair in front of me.

"Who the hell is responsible for this, un?" I snapped, my gaze fixed intently on the girl whose eyes trailed from Pein to me. As our gazes locked, she narrowed her eyes immediately.

"You dare question the motives of your leader?" Pein hissed, capturing my attention as I spotted a gleam of irritation flash through his eyes. I almost recoiled under the intensity of the glare. Damn, his eyes are creepy.

I muttered a few incoherent profanities before sighing and meeting my leader's gaze yet again, mumbling a quick "_no_". Pein nodded before turning his attention to the girl, his glare never faltering, almost as if they hadn't been practically attached to each other moments before I had made my dramatic entrance.

"Clean yourself up. We're going to get supplies." Pein ordered. His eyes had hardened significantly and the girl shot him a skeptical look, opening her mouth to, I assume, protest, but Pein just shook his head, immediately silencing Haruka's objection.

It was hard to believe that they'd been in that position moments before; the bitch had her head resting on Pein's chest while his arms were wrapped around her waist, his chin resting on her head. I would have never guessed that such a cold bastard would contain even the slightest bit of emotion, especially for such an insignificant girl who had just joined the organization only a month ago. Whatever, she defeated Kisame, so damn, that's a definite turn on. I won't lie; Haruka's hot. That _ass_.

I hadn't realized that I was staring at Haruka's retreating ass until Pein's glare intensified to an extent to where I began to fear it would burn a hole in the side of my head.

"You stay here and clean this shit up." Pein growled before shooting up and following the girl.

"Wait, what the hell?!" I protested, sprinting after Pein while still clinging to the bakudan bowl. "I didn't even fucking do this shit, un!"

_Oh I see_, I thought, a maniacal spreading across my face, albeit the confusion that sparked within me. Why call me here if he didn't need my assistance in controlling the girl? After all, that was what Tobi had told me, yet here he acts as if I'm just an annoying pest. _Fuck it; I'll just do what I came here to do…pry them apart._

* * *

_**Pein**_

Not only am I stuck with an imprudent girl who, just the sight of her, does awful things to my lower region; no, now I have two brats to deal with now.

I have to admit that that food fight was the most entertaining event that had transpired in my life since…God knows when. I'm quite ashamed that I'd allow myself to partake in such childish games, but damn, there are times in your life when you just need to say fuck it and allow yourself to give in to shit.

This girl is really beginning to mess with my head. Such an odd feeling that's been lying dormant in my heart all these years begins to resurface just when I believe I've casted the awful emotion away for good.

Not to mention that before Haruka had retreated into the bathroom, I had been under her close scrutiny. I could also see blatant sadness in those blue eyes, an emotion that I never want to see tainting those bright eyes that I've grown so accustomed to seeing. Perhaps it was the idea of us leaving…

I was snapped out of my reverie when I felt a sharp jab to my right arm. I glanced at the seething Deidara, who had resumed his pacing back and forth around the room as soon as he had my attention.

"Why in the _hell_ is it _my_ job to clean up that _shit_, un?" The artist demanded, his rapid pacing growing tiresome.

"Do I really need to explain to you why I assigned you to clean?" I growled, my eyes narrowing dangerously. "Shut up and obey me before I kill you."

I watched as all the color drained from Deidara's face before he saluted and swiftly fled from the room. A few minutes later I could hear the blonde shouting a string of profanity from the other room and the smashing of various objects.

I sighed heavily, fully aware that the old woman would not be pleased to witness the condition of her home. It was then that the bathroom door flew open and a very frantic Haruka leaped out, hysterically brushing her wet hair.

"Nagato! Holy shit where the hell is Nagato Jr.?!" She called, tugging at my left arm (_always_ the left one) until I was forced to stand as she began to fervently shove me into the bathroom. "You look like a walking birthday cake." She offered me a wide grin as she slammed the wooden door in my face, completely disregarding my muttered curses.

I quickly stepped into the shower, wanting to get this over with as swiftly as possible so that I could prevent the inevitable destruction of the old woman's home.

Cleaning Pein is always an irritating and redundant task. I deemed it unnecessary, but Konan would always complain that Tendo Pein has to look "presentable". Tch, the nagging woman. Why would an organization of S-ranked criminals care about such a thing as hygiene? Aside from Itachi, who appears to harbor some sort of fetish for his long eyelashes. I try not to ponder over the matter for too long.

As the hot water cleared the dirt from Pein's body, my mind began to wonder to my original body. What would Haruka think if she were to witness the pitiful condition that I'm truly in? It's not exactly the most appealing thing to look at. Frankly, I haven't the slightest idea how Konan puts up with it.

…But would Haruka? She doesn't appear to be the type to judge based entirely upon appearance, but I'd assume I'm quite a special case. Also, if you throw my gruesome past into the mix, the outcome is nothing short of a nightmare; though I've noticed that the girl doesn't take pride in her past either, or perhaps even herself as a kunoichi. The ANBU from the Hidden Mist almost had the girl in tears, effectively breaking down the thin, outer wall that she'd built around herself. They'd also dubbed her the "failure of the Akatsuka clan", which appeared to take a major toll on her self-control. What had happened for her to be labeled a failure? As scatter brained as she may be, she's still a worthy kunoichi.

_Perhaps I should take her to see my true body_, I thought grudgingly, stepping out of the shower. _There's no use in delaying it any longer. But Deidara and Madara may serve as a problem…_

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a thud against the bathroom door and a string of curses resounding from the other room.

"Fuck you!"

"Dammit, you red headed camel ass! Give that back, un!"

"Hell no! Give me my kunai back, you blonde headed pickle sucking tit loving man-whore!"

"Fuck no! I used it to impale a woman's head, un!"

"What the _hell _did you just say!?"

"…Fuck, give it back, un!"

I sighed heavily, completely disregarding the irritation bubbling up inside of me as I slammed the door open, smirking sadistically when I heard Deidara's cry of pain followed by an explosion of blasphemy along with the almost bell-like sound of Haruka's laughter. I noticed how she was clutching Deidara's pouch of clay and the latter was rubbing the back of his head where I assumed the door must have hit. I vaguely wondered how the girl even achieved the feat of snatching the bag of clay; only Sasori managed to touch it, but only to flush it down the toilet.

"What the hell was that for?!" Deidara exclaimed from the floor, shooting a menacing glare at Haruka, who seemed completely oblivious of the killing intent.

"I was opening the door. And you just happened to be in my way," I stated dryly, exiting the bathroom completely and grabbing the bag of clay from Haruka, tossing it at the artist and ignoring the indignant protest from the girl. "Haruka, we're getting supplies. Deidara, clean up our mess. I want this place spotless before we return."

"Yeah, _your _mess, hm."

"Shut the hell up and clean."

"…Dammit."

* * *

_**Haruka**_

"Holy _shit_! Snow!" I exclaimed when Nagato and I had stepped outside of the old woman's home. The sun was barely visible due to the gloomy sky, but it was still a semi-pleasant morning, aside from Deidara. The streets were a mess, though it looked as if the snow was attempting to cover all of the trash littering the streets. I could see many drunkards lying completely stoned in the streets, moving occasionally in their sleep. I vaguely wondered how the hell they survived such a frigid night.

I watched in fascination as the pure, white snowflakes lightly fell to the ground and my breaths came out as white puffs that swirled around me, seemingly disappearing in a matter of seconds. Only the tips of a few strands of dying grass poked out from under the white blanket. I stooped down to poke at the snow, my lips curling up into a small smile. I glanced up at Nagato and found that his eyes were trained on me as he smiled softly.

"You don't have the opportunity to see snow often, do you?" he inquired as I averted my attention to the snow again, picking up a wad of the stuff and squishing it in my palms, smiling in amusement as I did so.

"Nah, it's always so warm back in Konoha…" My voice cracked at the end of my sentence and I watched Nagato quirked a brow. I cleared my throat, shoving the memories aside as they threatened to invade my head, and began my sentence again. "...But I prefer summer over winter any day."

Nagato's eyes narrowed a bit, and a nagging feeling began to bubble up in my chest as I was tempted to tell him about the dream that I'd had. It felt so vivid and I know for a fact that it wasn't just a dream…my brother was actually there, talking to me.

What was that other trait of the Rinnegan that my brother refused to mention? He'd said I'd find out soon, but how does he know anyway? My thoughts were in a jumbled mess as I mindlessly followed Nagato, carelessly zigzagging through the people who would occasionally shoot us a smile or a wave. We'd become quite a source of interest for the townspeople, though I have no idea why. Getting dropped flat on my ass as soon as I got here isn't that entertaining.

_Yeah right! You would've laughed your ass off! _That tiny voice (that hasn't appeared in quite a while and only seems to when I'm lying to myself) exclaimed. I attempted to push it aside, but the daring little fucker was just too persistent this time around.

_Also, we need to get things moving here. Admit it; you're bored. You want more. You don't want that little reluctant kiss that seems to happen only on rare occasion_, the voice seemed to rise in octave, and I vaguely wondered if this was normal for an eighteen-going-on-nineteen year old girl. _You also want to know about his past. Ask him again, and if he doesn't budge, then molest that boy like there's no tomorrow!_

My eyes widened at the last thought and this time I kicked the little shit from my mind, cringing as I did 's actually a pretty good idea…

"What's bothering you?"

I jumped at Nagato's soft tone and noticed that he had stopped abruptly. People were streaming around us, most huddled together for warmth and paying no attention to us as they clutched whatever items that they had just purchased from the many vendors in the area and chatted about the snow, how hot that guy's ass was, and other useless information that I didn't even care to even overhear. He had led me to the market section of the town. My dark blue eyes darted to the right and locked with his fascinating, purple ringed gaze. For a few minutes, we stood there as it was blatant that he was waiting for me to speak first. I think I forgot how to speak.

_The Rinnegan. Past. Fierce make out sessions_.

Damn that voice. Damn it to hell.

"…Your eyes?" I managed to choke out, somehow converting my statement into a question. Nagato raised an eyebrow, indicating his question of "_what about them_".

"Rin…" I stuttered, contemplating what the hell the name of that ocular jutsu was, though I had just thought of it. I saw some sort of emotion flash through Nagato's eyes, but due to that damn poker face that I can't read for shit, I believed that I just imagined it. "Aha! I got it! Tell me about those eyes of yours…the Rinnegan."

Nagato visibly tensed, his gaze trailing to the cobblestoned path before us along with the many vendors shouting at various people that there items were on sale from the doorway of their shops.

"Later. Supplies are our priority." He replied calmly, though there was a spark of…dread? Sadness? I nodded slowly, my eyes narrowing incredulously as I followed Nagato into one of the shops. If only he wasn't so damn hard to read...

My incredulous thoughts shattered as I stared at the many racks of clothes before me. Reds, blues, pinks, blacks, yellows, the classic denim, and all different colors of tops and pants popped out at me. Beside of the cashier (who looked to be a girl my age that was busy obsessively polishing the countertop) was a stand completely dedicated to jewelry.

"Permission to molest this shop?" I inquired, smiling up at Nagato who just rolled his eyes, offering a small smile.

"Tch, only what you _need_." He responded lazily. I watched as his gaze scanned the shop and immediately come to an abrupt stop as it landed on the strawberry pastries. I fought back the urge to laugh hysterically as I watched the Akatsuki leader practically drool (yes, I'm sure that's drool) over strawberry pastries.

"Roger that, Captain Crotch!" I snickered, offering him a small salute as I darted towards a rack of striped sweaters. I didn't have to look back at him to know that he was rolling his eyes.

I hovered around the rack before pulling out a long sleeved sweater that was white with purple stripes. I admired it for a few minutes, tugging at the fabric that was thick and would provide much warmth. Not to mention it would look good on me. I slung the sweater onto my arm and trudged over to the shelf of jeans, pulling out a dark pair, not even bothering to look at them. I've always loathed shopping…

"Oh my salted snails!" I exclaimed loudly, disregarding all the stares I received from the surrounding shoppers as I darted past them, even making a few of them drop their bags as I could hear loud curses resounding from behind me. "Sorry, lady…holy shit I'm sorry! Dammit, out of my way, this is important, you snot nosed brat!"

"Excuse me miss, but please make your purchases and get out. You're creating a public disturbance." The cashier snapped from her perch behind the counter, her eyes half lidded as she observed her painted nails. I skidded to a halt, dismissing my mad dash at the woman's condescending tone. My eye twitched as I could see her bra through her shirt and her red lipstick was just…atrocious.

"If you're going to tell me to get the fuck out, then how about you look at me while you're making that demand?" I countered, slapping my hand on the cashier counter. I watched in satisfaction as she practically jumped to the ceiling before shooting me a challenging glare, a scowl plastered on that nasty face of hers.

"You wanna get smart with me, bitch?!" The woman sneered, leaning forward as she practically hissed in my face. My nose scrunched up at the smell of her breath.

"Yeah, in fact, I'll do you a favor and smash that face in for you. It'll be an improvement from what you've got now!" I taunted smugly, crossing my arms as the woman's face turned a shade that matched her lipstick. She let out a noise that sounded like a mix between a dying cow and a sexually excited rooster, her fist shooting up in a feeble attempt punch my face. I caught her fist and was about to introduce her to mine when I felt a sharp tug on the back of my cloak, forcing me to stumble backwards and my drop the asshole's fist.

"Do I have to put you on a leash?" Nagato sighed, despite the ghost of a smirk on his face at the woman's expense. Sadistic bastard.

"Oh, _hello_ there," the woman purred from behind the counter, her lips curling up into an ugly smile. "Is this your sister? In fact, our leashes _are_ on sale. As an added bonus, I'll give the collar for free."

It took a minute to register what the hell she was implying. If Nagato wasn't restraining me and shooting me glares that clearly suggested '_don't touch the bitch_', I would've sprung over the counter right there.

"I dare you to say that again, asshole!" I snapped, leaning forward slightly only to be tugged backwards. I sent Nagato a pleading look, my eyes sparkling, but he pretended that he'd not noticed as he handed the woman the money for my clothes. I watched as she purposely brushed her hand down his as she took the money.

_She just raped his hand! The bitch just raped his hand! His hand is _mine_!_

I attempted to restrain myself as my thoughts began to jumble into a volcanic mess. How dare that bitch!

"If you ever need help in containing that little…_mutt _of yours, then feel free to come get me." The woman winked at Nagato and handed him a slip of paper with what appeared to be an address scribbled on it.

That's it.

I'll show that bitch.

My hand shot up, grabbed the slip of paper (Nagato just stood there, staring at the slip of paper with a glazed over expression), and tore it to pieces, throwing the little specks of paper at the astonished woman.

The woman's face grew to the epitome of astonishment as I shoved Nagato onto the countertop and pressed my lips to his harshly. I'd never seen his eyes so wide and so full of emotion. Shock, happiness, and remorse were all mixed in there, and I began to wonder just what the hell is going on in his head…

* * *

_**Pein**_

One minute my thought process was in its correct sequence and then the next thing I knew I was shoved onto the countertop with Haruka's lips moving against mine. Damn, there goes all of my restraint.

_The things this woman can do to me_, I thought absentmindedly as I felt her tongue caress my bottom lip and I obliged, allowing her entrance. The world seemed to disappear as I gave into my emotions for the first time since Yahiko's death, Haruka gripping my hair tightly as I slid my hand down her back, almost reaching her ass…

…Until someone cleared their throat and Haruka slid her tongue out of my mouth and detached herself from me, whistling awkwardly before turning her attention to the strawberry pastries in the glass shelf.

_Damn._

"Can I get one of those?"

"_GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY STORE, YOU ASSHOLE!_"

"Fine, gee, I'm leaving!" she exclaimed, grabbing my arm and sprinting out of the shop, dodging the books that most of the shoppers were tossing at her. "_WHY THE FUCK IS IT ALWAYS BOOKS?!_"

Once we were out of the shop, Haruka continued to sprint down the snow covered street, dragging me along with her and disregarding the stares of civilians huddling together outside of the shops. She didn't stop until we were on an almost abandoned street, in the shade of another aspen tree.

"Damn, no matter where I go, it's almost those fucking books." Haruka muttered indignantly, sending a quick kick to the tree trunk, only to have a pile of snow that had been accumulating on a branch to plummet onto her head.

"_DAMN. IT!_" she screeched, shaking the snow off of her head and leaning against the trunk of the tree as she shot me a serious look.

"It's later, so are you gonna tell me about the Rinnegan?" she inquired somberly, her eyes pleading. I sighed heavily, wondering how the hell she could change topics so quickly.

"…Alright…I suppose it would be impossible to keep the inevitable from you for much longer…"

* * *

I kinda rushed the ending, eh heh, but yeah, there you have it.

I hope you guys liked it; it took me FOREVER to finish this chapter. I might just die.

Oh and if you guys want, **I'm thinking about making a sequel, but only if you guys want it**. xD No use in writing something that no one'll read.

Anyways, please review. And thank you to everyone that's already reviewed x3! It means so much to me, really.

Thanks to all you wonderful people who take the time to review!~ It means the world to me, even if I don't reply, though I mean to reply to every review ^^"

_**PervertAnimeOtaku, Akanohana, CreepySheepy, Loki7744, JaggerMania, TheNinjaOfEpic, Kristine, Dorkfish Hipsterframe, Lacry91, Vegan Vampy, 0Kuro Tenshi0, Princess thieves of heart,**__**DuckAnimePerson, Frozen Paint, Origanum Vulgare, Sekaiichihatsukoilov3r, any anonymous reader who reviews :), KoriryuVEX, and Cetacea-of-Time!**_


	18. Revelation

**Disclaimer:** **I don't own**.

**Word Count:** 5,605

This was undoubtedly the hardest chapter to write. It's hard to keep Pein in character when dealing with a situation like this xD Ah well, I tried. Sorry for the wait, don't murder me.

Please review.

* * *

.:."_I don't pretend to know what love is for everyone, but I can tell you what it is for me; love is knowing all about someone, and still wanting to be with them more than any other person. Love is trusting them enough to tell them everything about yourself, including the things you might be ashamed of. Love is feeling comfortable and safe with someone, but still getting weak knees when they walk into a room and smile at you."_.:.

–**Unknown**

* * *

Chapter Eighteen: Revelation

_**Madara **_

"Hmm, I'd like your opinion on the matter, Zetsu," I stated dryly, my mask half raised as I stuffed a large portion of popcorn into my mouth. I heard the plant man offer a distant "hmm?" before I averted half of my attention back to the buttery popcorn. "I've come to the conclusion that it is my time to intervene in this little issue—Haruka—before our dear friend Nagato is converted into a complete, dare I say, _softie_. But first I'd like to see what goes on in that Zetsu head of yours."

"**We should refrain from making any hasty decisions at the moment. **Pein is quite the stubborn man, after all, especially when it comes to that **nonsense **that is his view of achieving peace." Zetsu replied slowly. My eyes narrowed in concentration; perhaps the man did have a point. No need to rush.

"Hm." I responded absentmindedly, all thoughts set on the plan that was soon to take place. It was when Zetsu spoke up that I tore my gaze away from the bag of popcorn perched in my lap.

"When are going to get to the **good part**?" He inquired, obviously referring to the climax of the plan that I had devised for my own entertainment.

"After they are confronted with both the nine tails and six tails jinchuuriki hosts, of course. Then my little plan will fall into place; the girl being the major catalyst as emotional as she appears to be." I concluded, adjusting my mask so that it completely covered my face.

"Pein will certainly not be pleased; **after all, he has grown quite attached to the girl**." Zetsu mused, one elbowed propped up on the coffee table and staring down with glazed eyes at the Shogi board set up before us.

"No matter. The girl will be easily forgotten once his goal is achieved…well…_my_ goal." I replied stoically, my Sharingan gleaming behind my mask.

"Fucking hell Kakuzu! That's a shit-faced lie!"

I glanced up lethargically at the sudden exclamation to see Hidan tackle Kakuzu to the floor, the two _grown_ (I must stress the word grown to remind myself that yes, they are indeed adults) men delivering harsh punches to one another's faces.

"Face it, you fucking bastard! Mine's fucking bigger than yours!" Hidan exclaimed, attempting to wring Kakuzu's neck, but failed horrendously when the older man slammed Hidan against the wall, effectively silence the Jashinist as he flailed his arms, struggling for air between each muffled curse.

I almost applauded.

"Would you like to repeat that?" Kakuzu growled, sounding a tad bit strained.

"Y-You're…a…f-fuck…ing…w-whor…whore…" the Jashinist managed to choke out, writhing for air when Kakuzu's grip tightened significantly. "J-Jashin…d-damn…it…y-yours is…b-bigger…than…a-an…elephant's…a-ass."

An amused smirk tugged at the corner of my lips as I watched Kisame enter from the kitchen with Itachi on his heels and raise an eyebrow, that toothy grin on his face as he watched the pair.

"Get a room." The shark man stated dryly as he followed Itachi to the entrance of the hideout. The silver haired man let out a strange squawking noise, resembling that of a constipated duck, and Kakuzu's glare looked as if it would set the hideout ablaze. I watched in amusement as the stitched man released his grip on the Jashinists throat, who plopped to the floor choking and spluttering blood.

"F-fuck you and your m-money!" Hidan exclaimed, but quickly paled when Kakuzu turned slightly, a glint of pure murderous intent prominent in his gaze. "Eh heh…I was just fucking kiddin, Kakuzu!" When the older man just disregarded the Jashinist, instead choosing to trudge down the hallway, Hidan shot up and trailed after his partner, muttering a string of curses under his breath.

"Dammit Kakuzu, can't you take a fucking joke?" Hidan muttered darkly before disappearing into the hallway.

I averted my attention back to Zetsu, whose eyes narrowed slightly.

"**Why do I even bother playing this**; it's impossible to win against the Sharingan in a game of Shogi." Zetsu muttered crossly.

"Checkmate."

"**Fuck**."

* * *

_**Pein**_

_Shit. Why did I agree to tell her? _I thought darkly, all of the possible reactions she would have flashing through my mind in a whirlwind, most of which portraying her leaving. Besides, why would such an innocent girl stay with someone as bloodstained as I? My thoughts drifted to the time when I had ordered her to cross out Konoha's symbol on her headband at the beginning of our journey…

"_Here," I muttered dryly, tossing a kunai to the girl. She caught it before staring at the tool dumbly. "Cross out the symbol on your headband. You no longer belong to Konoha." _

_I watched her slowly remove the headband from around her neck and place it on the ground, staring at the symbol engraved upon it for a span of thirty seconds before dragging the kunai across the plaque of the headband grudgingly, as if it were the most difficult task she had ever performed. _

_My eyes narrowed at the determined smile she had plastered on her face, her eyes a bit dull from what they were seconds before I had given her the order. If she was so determined to join the Akatsuki, then why would her movements be so sluggish in crossing out the symbol of the village she had chosen to abandon?_

"…_What did it feel like for you?" she suddenly inquired somberly as she tied her headband around her neck once again. _

"_What." _

"_Ya know, crossing the symbol out on your headband," she replied, poking the symbol I had marked out on my own headband. "It must have felt weird, right? Residing in a village your whole life and pledging allegiance to not only that village, but your comrades as well – all of that just to cross out the symbol of your loyalty."_

_I remained silent as my gaze locked with hers, the memories of Yahiko's death flooding my mind, how I had rendered my body almost useless with that jutsu in a moment of blind rage, of weakness. That was the time when I had marked out the symbol on my headband. The time I always feebly attempt to banish from my memory forever._

…_But that pain has only made me stronger; as I've evolved from a man to a god all because of that agony. _

"…_It's just an insignificant emblem." I finally resolved, almost scowling at the tone of my voice as I sounded as if I were trying to convince myself more than the girl._

"_Well, I guess that could be true, but for now, I'll just stick to my own conviction…" _

I hadn't cared for the girl then. I hadn't cared that she was only a sacrificial pawn to be easily disposed of in Madara's game. My greatest desire was to murder the nuisance myself, who entertained herself through irritating the hell out of me. The girl who constantly questioned me about topics that I had no desire to elaborate on, the one that would openly defy the supposed Akatsuki leader and not cower in fear, but attempt to prod me out of the so called "crotch of the crotchety".

She's become the beacon of light among all of the darkness that I've been submerged in since Yahiko's death. No matter how much I loathe admitting it, the girl I once thought of as a pest has become a major part of my life, one that I will never allow anyone to inflict pain upon.

"Fuck Nagato, am I gonna have to stab you to bring you out of that trance?!" I felt a sharp tug on one of the piercings in my ear accompanied by a torrent of curses.

"What." I responded, detaching her hand from the piercing and shoving her arm aside.

"You drag me out to this clearing and then you zone out for six minutes and thirty seven seconds. Shit man, what the hell goes on in your head?" she reprimanded before tugging on my sleeve for the nth time since we began this journey, her face somber. "Why're you so reluctant? You should know by now that you're stuck with me. I'm not going anywhere."

I'd led the girl to this clearing based solely on the fact that a civilian would more than likely notice five frightening, heavily pierced men with bright orange hair (aside from one), not to mention overhear the bizarre explanation that would accompany their arrival. As soon as we'd arrived in the clearing, the snow still dancing around us as it continued to accumulate on the ground, completely covering the grass in a pure white, glowing blanket, Haruka had scaled the tallest tree apparent in the clearing, dragging me with her and plopping down on a seemingly sturdy branch, disregarding the snow that was surely soaking through her cloak.

I'd zoned out after I found my gaze resting on a lone leaf that had managed to remain attached the tree, but after a sudden gust of wind it had begun to drift slowly to the ground, continuing to follow the path of the wind. I hadn't even noticed that I'd zoned out until a few of her vulgar curses broke into my thoughts.

"Oh really?" I muttered mockingly, and she nodded her head furiously. "What if I told you that what you're looking at…isn't me?"

"…Huh?" she responded, her brilliant blue eyes clouded with confusion.

"I'm not Nagato. I'm Pein." I stated dryly.

"You're Nagato _and _Pein, you mean?" she inquired slowly, as if she were talking to a child. "Dammit, what the hell are you talking about?"

I sighed heavily, silently summoning the other five Paths of Pain to the clearing. This was probably the only moment in a very, _very_ long time that I've felt this…apprehensive. I watched stoically as the other Paths scattered, perching on various branches surrounding Haruka and I.

"What the hell is that?" she said flatly, though her eyes were widening considerably as her gaze darted between each Path. Her gaze finally trailed to me, confusion practically emanating from her. Despite the gripping fear of the girl leaving based on this seemingly ugly revelation, I met her gaze evenly.

"I suppose I'll start from the beginning." I stated plainly, my voice devoid of any emotion.

"Please." She muttered breathlessly, her gaze never retreating from the Asura Path.

"Obviously you have prior knowledge of the Rinnegan, correct?" When the frightened girl nodded, I continued. "What do you know of it?"

Haruka seemed to hesitate for a moment as she averted her eyes from the other five Paths, her gaze fixated on the thick blanket of snow below the trees. She remained motionless (and quite tense) for what seemed like ten minutes, albeit I knew the cause of the slow time interval was to be blamed solely on my anticipation and anxiety to finally tell her…or perhaps…_show _her who I truly am.

I regarded Haruka once again when I heard her take in a gulp of air and then begin a tirade of an explanation.

"…The Rinnegan is said to be the most powerful of the three ocular kekkei genkai. The holder of the Rinnegan has the ability to master all five chakra transformations as well as control the tailed beasts. It also allows the user to see chakra and repel any attack that's thrust its way using a technique that's called Shinra Tensai." The red headed kunoichi recited, crossing her arms as her lips turned up in a small grin, as if she were proud of recalling this information.

"Tch," I responded blankly and the girl merely rolled her eyes at my reply. "The Rinnegan does contain those abilities, but it also allows me to control several different bodies at once, as you can see now."

I waited patiently for her to respond, her eyes darting to all of the Paths that were present, before her gaze trailed back to me. Frantic, dark blue eyes met calm purple as I could see the muddled look in her eyes get easily replaced by a torrent of emotion in those blue irises.

"_SHIT WHAT THE, WHO THE_—hold on one fucking second," she said, her frown curling up into a smug smile as she pointed at me. "This is a joke, isn't it? _Ha, ha_! I'm wetting myself laughing here Nagato! This is just some sort of a maniacal, sick, twisted, snail sucking, goose kicking, cockatoo spitting joke!" I raised an eyebrow as her fake laughter bordered on hysteria when she fisted the collar of my cloak and began shaking my body violently.

Based upon her reaction, I was tempted to just tell her that yes, this is indeed a maniacal jest and this is very much _not_ a dead body that you've kissed several times. But it would be unfair to keep the truth from her (which she would discover eventually anyway, even if I'd chosen to delay it from her any longer), especially if she claimed that she'd stay with me…

"No, what you're seeing is Pein, not Nagato," I responded, my voice soft as I gently pried her hands from my cloak. "These aren't merely piercings; they're chakra receivers that transport chakra from my body to Pein's…"

"…So what you're saying is that Pein isn't _you_…but a dead body," she stated dryly, all of the hysteria retreating from her eyes. I blinked at the sudden change in emotion, but nodded nonetheless. She continued speaking when her gaze returned to the snow covered ground. "…And that I was _kissing _a dead body…_hugging_…a…oh…Kami…a…dead…"

And to think I had almost made such progress…

"_OH. MY. CINNAMON. SCENTED. BAR. OF. SOAP!_" Haruka screeched, choking out each word as if she were a diseased rooster. My eye twitched slightly as I watched the girl practically hyperventilate. "_WHO THE—WHAT THE—WHO ARE YOU?!_"

"Naga—"

"_WHAT NEXT?! YOU GONNA TELL ME YOU'RE MY GRANDPA?! OR, OR, BETTER YET! THAT YOU'VE LOST IN A GAME OF SHOGI TO A PIG WEARING A MONOCLE?!_" The girl began laughing uncontrollably, and if I hadn't intervened by grabbing her arm, she would have surely fallen off of the tree.

Haruka froze at the touch, her wide eyes darting to my hand before her gaze locked with mine. She shoved my hand away, heaving several deep breaths before her face became sober (how does she even do that?), her eyes harboring a bit of hurt as she turned to face me, her gaze downcast.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner…" she muttered sadly. My heart twisted at the hurt apparent in her voice, and I almost scowled at how much I care for this girl.

"I…was afr—_anticipating_ your reaction." I stated dryly, ignoring the nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach as she stared past me at the other five Paths.

* * *

_**Haruka**_

_Why didn't he tell me before? _

The shock overcame me with a vengeance. It's like you thought you were finally in the light, the truth, but then it's as if you've just discovered you were in a closet the whole fucking time. Contemplating every ordeal I've been through since this journey began, my thoughts trailed to the question—_is it really worth it_? To get this attached to someone of whom you have no clue who their true identity is…which happens to be a habit of mine; attaching to others to the extent that the only method of getting rid of me is beat the shit out of me or something so extreme that it would be unforgivable.

My whole objective, _no_, even my whole _perspective _has been in complete disarray throughout this whole mess.

Who am I really loyal to? My village or the Akatsuki? I haven't the slightest clue at this present moment.

Who is Nagato?

What do I _really_ want?

Questions pounded around against the walls of my skull, thousands of them as I stared at each and every one of the orange haired men assembled around me. Everything I thought I knew about Nagato…Pein…_the crotch_, was probably false, all except for the fact that Rinnegan is an extremely powerful ocular kekkei genkai with various abilities.

But who the hell cares about special abilities and what not? I want to know the person behind this…mask. No doubt that this most recent piece of information has jumbled my thoughts around, leaving me a whole mess I'll have to clean up later because at this moment I'll most likely act on an impulse. The fog clouding my judgment began to dissipate, albeit the shock that still hung over me like a rain cloud.

I could practically feel the tension surrounding us, and that searing, purple gaze boring a hole into the side of my head. I tore my gaze from the pile of snow that lay in a heap below the base of the tree and forced blue to meet purple. I was astonished to discover that he didn't bother to mask his emotions, as if those feelings are a part of the truth that he was keeping from me. There was agony in the depths of those purple eyes, as well as anxiety and…another emotion that I couldn't quite put a name to.

After witnessing those emotions buried within him, I couldn't bring myself to remain silent. I took a deep breath and released it slowly before I began to speak.

"Tell me everything," I said slowly, contemplating my words as I went. After all, who even knows how to react to this? This doesn't exactly happen on a daily basis. "And I mean…_everything._"

"Very well." he answered, almost mechanically. While I'd been caught in my inner dilemma, I'm sure he had had inner disputes of his own. I couldn't help but wonder if I'd really made such an impact on his life.

My entire life I've been dubbed a failure, even earning the nickname of "_failure of the Akatsuka family_". I'd never allowed the true pain of those insults to show externally, but internally, they had been drilled into my heart on so many occasions by a multitude of people that I'd begun to truly consider myself a failure. My brother was gone, and all I had was Iruka-sensei and Naruto, who were undoubtedly the only people that would tell me that what they said was wrong, and that I could do anything as long as I believed in myself as well as my comrades.

Maybe Nagato…Pein... just needed someone to take away that pain.

But is that the only reason I'm still alive? _No, I can see it in his eyes that there's more to this…relationship of ours. I would've died a long time ago if there wasn't an underlying motive behind this whole ordeal. _

I hadn't realized that I had zoned out until Pein's voice broke into my musings and my head shot up as I met his gaze, smiling sheepishly. A ghost of an amused smirk lit up his face, but quickly disappeared when he began.

"It was during the Second Great Shinobi War, a time when Amegakure was a war torn battle zone between the greater nations, that I watched my parents' slaughter," he began, all emotion suppressed from his expression and tone, as if those emotions were carefully hidden behind an intricate mask that detests the act of displaying any human emotion. The mask I had first witnessed when we had first been introduced to one another. The mask I never wanted to see again, the one I'd thought I'd shattered. "It was done by a group of Konoha shinobi scrounging around the area for any scraps of food. They weren't aware that my parents were but mere civilians, and proceeded to kill them on the spot. This is when, unbeknownst to me, my Rinnegan awakened. I killed them."

My blood turned to ice when not even a hint of emotion was apparent in his voice, not even remorse, _nothing_ at his last statement. _I killed them._ Those were _Konoha _shinobi that slaughtered his parents. Even though it was a misunderstanding, I couldn't suppress the tiny spark of anger that lit up as soon as he had said that. This event is probably partially responsible for the way he had turned his back to the light.

"I can see that my last statement has startled you, but I must say…this happens every day. The Shinobi world is tainted, twisted, and dripping with hate. There is no end to this chain of hatred that we find ourselves trapped within. Humans are vehement and vile, creatures fueled by strife and this precarious emotion that we call "love". As long as we love, and that love is unconditional, hatred will never release its grip on the world, will never cease to exist," Pein elaborated, his tone icy. I felt a pang of hurt as my mind registered his true contempt towards humankind as a whole, as well as his take on love. Did the life tragedies that he's suffered through really morph him into someone with dark ideals such as these? "Every day an additional link is added to this endless chain of hatred. If you kill someone, someone will kill you. This hatred is what binds us together."

I remained silent for a few minutes more, my gaze locked with his. There was nothing in the depths of those purple eyes, nothing to give me at least a small idea of what went through his head after he had finished. I allowed my gaze to drop to my hands, quietly formulating my answer, and when he noticed that I wasn't going to speak, he continued.

"After the death of my parents, I had vacated my home in search of…nothing in particular. I scrounged around for what little food I could find, but during that time, food was difficult to come by, especially for an orphan such as myself. This is when a dog, whom I had dubbed Chibi, began to trail behind me wherever I went. It was when I was at the brink of death, unable to carry on due to fatigue and starvation, that Konan had found me. She had offered me bread and led me to the cave that she was residing in. And that's…when I met Yahiko," he continued, an inkling of solemnity leaking into his tone. "For a while, we stole whatever food we could get our hands on. From fish to watermelon to apples. What else could we do? We were just mere children trapped in a war-torn world that seemed as if it were falling apart at the seams. You're aware that for a few years I was under the tutelage of Jiraiya, correct?"

My head snapped up and I met his gaze as soon as the name Jiraiya rolled off his tongue. Jiraiya-sensei. The author. Naruto's sensei. Legendary Sannin. _The _Pervy Sage. Memories of all the times I had tagged along with the old geezer and Naruto to observe training sessions flashed through my mind, so many that it was difficult to quickly pinpoint where exactly they had taken place. My precious moment of recalling those endearing memories was ephemeral, for the flood of memories immediately vaporized when I felt Pein's gaze trained on me.

"…I was not aware of that." I stated calmly, attempting to contain myself as I waited in anticipation for what the man was about to say, despite the twinge of despair that gripped my heart at the mentioning of Naruto's deceased sensei.

The news of Jiraiya's slaughter had spread like a powerful fire ball jutsu throughout the whole village, people retelling the heartrending news to anyone who was willing to listen. I had been informed by Kiba, who had to witness me choke on the ramen that I had been shoveling down my throat. To my knowledge, Naruto had been completely unaware that Jiraiya was dead, for he was on a mission to tail the bastard that is Sasuke. It was all I could do to keep my heart from shattering when Naruto had told about what had happened to his sensei. The obstinate fire in his eyes had immediately extinguished, leaving him nothing but a grieving, hollow shell. All I could do was lend him my strength and attempt to extract him from the darkness that he'd fallen into, and with the assistance of all of the Rookie Nine, Kakashi, Iruka, and Tenzou-sensei, at last we were able to pull him off of his knees and watch the fire return to those brilliant blue eyes.

In a way, the man had also become my adopted sensei for when Tenzou-sensei was busy. I would always watch Jiraiya and Naruto's intense training sessions, even joining on occasion when I was needed as a "test dummy"— which usually involved me entering the girls' hot spring and taking pictures of stark-naked women for that old perverted son of a bitch. My success in those "missions" is something I still, to this day, despise recalling, albeit the praise and the ruffling of my hair I would almost always receive from the old geezer (if he wasn't too busy drooling over the pictures). Naruto would always detest the idea, but I'd just dismiss his complaining with the flippant wave of a hand. What else did I have to do anyway? Not like I could just intrude on the men's area of the hot springs.

I immediately shook my head when I felt my eyes begin to sting, attempting to clear it of the memories that I cherish so much. Pein seemed to notice this; for his gaze softened and I witnessed a small spark of emotion flash through those eccentric eyes. I was grateful that he didn't probe, but instead shot me a look that imposed the question—"_do you want me to continue_"? I gave a small nod in response.

"Yahiko had always slipped into livid tirades about how he would become God of this world, if only to stop the war that had taken so many lives for so many inconsequential reasons.

"Ironically, the first time we had seen Jiraiya he was accompanied by Orochimaru and Tsunade, in the midst of a heated battle with Hanzo of the Salamander, who was the leader of the Hidden Rain during that time. Yahiko, Konan, and I, as well as Chibi, had been travelling around the area where they had been fighting, and a stray kunai equipped with an explosive tag had planted itself in the middle of our group. Chibi had taken most of the impact from the explosion and had died instantly, while Yahiko, Konan, and I had managed to avoid it unscathed. It was then that Yahiko's dream became my own," he continued, his gaze fixated on the overcast sky above us. "It was at that moment after the explosion that Yahiko decided to seek out Jiraiya and his companions, for he ultimately needed strength to reach his goal. Afterwards, we found them, and Jiraiya offered to stay with us for a while as his comrades returned to Konoha.

"At first, I was unaccepting of Jiraiya. What else could you expect? He was a Konoha shinobi, and Konoha shinobi had slaughtered my parents. But there was some aspect of Jiraiya that set him apart from the rest of the Konoha shinobi that I had witnessed in the past.

"It was when a lone ninja had attacked Yahiko that I had unconsciously used my Rinnegan yet again, unknowingly killing the shinobi who would have ruthlessly killed Yahiko if I hadn't, that Jiraiya, who before hadn't been keen to teach us to be ninja, decided that he would bring us under his tutelage. He had claimed that it was for self-defense purposes, but I believe it was so that I could control the Rinnegan.

"However, I had developed a fear of my power, and was consumed by guilt and hatred as I believed that slaughtering that shinobi had been the wrong thing to do. Jiraiya had saved me from myself, and without even knowing it, I had come to accept him. He had told me, "Pain allows people to grow, but knowing that pain allows people to be kind. When people get hurt, they learn to hate. When people hurt others, they become hated and are racked with guilt." Who you become when you grow up is entirely your decision, and I already knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to protect Yahiko and Konan with my life.

"After three years had passed, we had become significantly stronger. Jiraiya's words had stuck with me, deep within my heart, and one day he decided to tell me about a priest who had come to be known as "The Sage of the Six Realms". This man possessed the same Rinnegan as I, and had come to be known as the Messiah, for he taught people the concept of chakra and attempted to lead the world to peace. Jiraiya believed that perhaps the Sage of the Six Realms has been reincarnated into me.

"When Jiraiya had left, Yahiko had become our leader in a gang we had formed that was dubbed Akatsuki," he said reminiscently. I continued to stare at the ground, no longer interested in hearing of the Akatsuki, barely willing to even carry out this mission anymore. Over the span of this journey, I've went from loyalty to my village, to inner conflicts over whether or not I still carry that loyalty that I'm so known for, to unknowingly walking into a relationship with Nagato. In fact, I'm not even certain what my relationship with Nagato even _is_. Apparently the man I'd come to know as Nagato isn't Nagato at all; but a mere shell of his personality. "Many people agreed with our vision of creating peace without brute force. This ongoing support caught the attention of Hanzo, who wanted to use us to begin peace negotiations with other countries. We agreed to help him.

"Because we were still naïve, we didn't see through this guise. Hanzo's true intention was to wipe out the Akatsuki in fear that we would overthrow him with the support of Ame. And then…" Pein paused as I met his gaze, detecting the tiny hint of despair apparent in his voice.

"What…happened?" I inquired softly.

"Yahiko died." He replied, the tint of despair in his eyes never fading.

"W-What?" I stuttered, surprised at the sudden turn of events.

"Hanzo ambushed us when we met him at the set rendezvous point. He and a congregation of Konoha ANBU Black Ops were waiting for us. Danzo supported Hanzo in the retaining of his position. They had taken Konan as a hostage, and demanded that I kill Yahiko in order to set Konan free," he paused when I scooted closer to him, completely disregarding the other very frightening, orange haired men. "I was confronted with what would be the hardest decision I'd ever faced in my life…and when I had picked up the kunai and turned slightly…before I knew it, Yahiko had raced into the outstretched kunai…

"He had told me that I needed to survive…that I was the Messiah, that I'd bring peace to the world," he continued solemnly. "After I tore Konan from their grasp, I lost it. I wiped out all of the Konoha shinobi aside from Danzo, as well as Hanzo's minions, using a jutsu that rendered my body almost useless. Hanzo managed to escape using a telepathy jutsu..."

Pein's voice trailed off at the end of his sentence as I planted a small, meaningful kiss to his cheek (attempting to disregard the fact that this is a dead body) and dragged him into an embrace, my arms wrapped tightly around his waist and my head resting in the joint of his neck. This time, unlike all of the other times, he didn't hesitate before he snaked his arm around my waist, pulling me even closer to him. For a span of two minutes, we sat like this in complete silence. Snow fell lightly around us, the pure substance sticking to our black cloaks and to our hair.

Nagato has become my escape from the reality of my inner conflicts, from all of the thoughts that have haunted me since the beginning of this mission. This man, the Akatsuki leader, who should be the driving force of my current issues, is able to comfort me in ways Naruto couldn't. How is this so? How can I still have these strong feelings for one who has slaughtered many? It should be impossible. I should just turn away from all this shit right now and go rat him out to Tsunade. But, if I hadn't made it palpable enough, I could never – realization is finally beginning to kick me in the ass.

A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips, but quickly faded once he began to speak again.

"The answer to your original question: this is Yahiko's body. This body, as well as the others, are bodies of deceased shinobi that I've implanted my Rinnegan into. They are the Six Paths of Pain, and together they are virtually invincible."

_So this is Yahiko? Damn._

"…Where's your real body…?" I inquired tentatively, staring up at his pierced face.

"You'll see." He answered slowly, standing up and simultaneously pulling me with him. He didn't need to tell me where we were going; the look of solemn determination in his eyes explained it all.

I shivered slightly against the sting of the cold, but was grateful (only slightly) to the warmth his…_Yahiko's_…body provided.

Today's just gonna keep getting more and more bizarre.

_Wish I had ice cream._

* * *

In order for me to write this, I seriously had to stop listening to "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osbourne. Oh Jesus. xD

That was partly why I just couldn't write this thing. I kept listening to music that was just the exact opposite of serious. I really need to stop doing that with serious chapters…

Augh, again, I'M SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT D:

I should really be studying right now…

Anyways, please review. They mean a lot to me.

_**skipbeataddict, PervertAnimeOtaku, Akanohana, CreepySheepy, Loki7744, JaggerMania, TheNinjaOfEpic, Kristine, Dorkfish Hipsterframe, Lacry91, Vegan Vampy, 0Kuro Tenshi0, Princess thieves of heart,**__**DuckAnimePerson, Frozen Paint, Origanum Vulgare, Sekaiichihatsukoilov3r, any anonymous reader who reviews :), KoriryuVEX, and Cetacea-of-Time!**_


	19. Oh, Hi There, Nagato

**Disclaimer: **Still don't owwnn. How many times do I have to repeat myself?

**Word Count: **3,255

Lol hi guys, I'm back with another lame title. I'mnotdeadyet.

* * *

Chapter 19: Oh, Hi There, Nagato

_**Haruka**_

The snow continued to drift slowly to the ground in soft flecks as Pein led me to where his "true self" is located. I shivered subconsciously, muttering muffled curses under my breath as I pulled the collar of my cloak up to conceal my face from the sudden blast of frigid air. The path that we've been trudging on for a total of three minutes looked as if it used to be a path that was frequently travelled upon to enter into the village, but most likely abandoned due to the growth of the town. There were small gray stones scattered here and there that used to belong to a stone wall that ran through the area but crumbled under the force of nature, snow almost completely swallowing them from view.

My gaze reluctantly drifted to my left to find one of those "Paths of Pain" dudes. Fuck, that one with the spikes is just damn creepy looking. I began to vaguely contemplate poking it…

Then it glanced at me.

"_HOLY SHIT!_" I exclaimed cringing as I instinctively edged closer to Pein, who appeared to be the "main" body. He shot me a pointed glance while I grinned sheepishly; scratching the back of my neck, while gesturing to the other body (of whom I'd spontaneously nicknamed "Hornass"). "That one's creepy as fuck."

"I select these bodies based off of their natural ability. Appearances are completely disregarded." He replied dryly, his gaze returning to the path ahead of us.

"Obviously," I muttered, hopping onto one of the stones and humming the tune I used to hear my brother murmur. When my boredom escalated, I began challenging myself by hopping onto one of the stones that was further away and so on, but never strayed too far from Pein.

What is it about him that naturally draws me to his side? It's as if he's some fucking Haruka-magnet turned on high power. Perhaps it's the imposing, powerful aura constantly emanating off of him in waves. Or maybe it's the fact that he needs someone, and that he's so lost in this pool of darkness it poses as a challenge for me to attempt to bring him into the light.

Just exactly _how_ long have I been stuck in this damn shamble of a mission? I had long been perturbed about my waning loyalty towards Konoha clashing with my longing to stick by Nagato's side. After all, I had told him that I'd never leave him, and after the hell of a life he's had, he'd need _someone_. But what happens when my mission concludes? What would happen to…us…or whatever this thing is that's going on between us? That's a question that I'd narrowly avoided asking myself, but it was always there; a nagging, unresolved inquiry residing in the farthest corner of my mind that always tugged at my consciousness, always made me aware of its highly exasperating presence.

It's as if we're submerged in two completely different worlds; though as shinobi, all of us have committed some highly inconceivable crime that is against what some would say is morality, our hands having been stained with someone else's blood at least once. Some have slaughtered so many that they can simply do it without feeling a thing, without so much as a hint of consciousness or remorse left. Perhaps this is when one could be defined as a true monster? When entering Akatsuki, this was the fate that I had feared the most; other than having my fucking head chopped off and fed to Zetsu.

I began to wonder if Nagato felt anything at all when slaughtering others. I'd assume not, since he's been a missing-nin for Kami knows how long. But the softer side of Nagato that I'd witnessed bears no resemblance to that of a monster. All I can see is a man who's never experienced love, someone who has undergone so much pain that they've shielded their eyes from the light.

And as of now, on a caprice (as always), I've decided that it's my time to make somewhat of a difference to the shinobi world: I'll metaphorically save Nagato. Fuck, how could I leave him the way he is, anyway? That would make me nothing short of a heartless bastard. Could I bring him back to Konoha with me? Would he be willing? That's the only option that we'd have if we're to continue being together – the other option was one that would take a long time of contemplating: staying with the Akatsuki.

Naruto…he'd feel so betrayed. He's suffered through enough hell with Sasuke and just being the nine tails jinchuuriki. It wouldn't be fair to him or anyone back in Konoha if I suddenly turn against them and became one of the Akatsuki. I don't believe I'd be able to handle watching his soul slowly drained from his body…

I was pulled from my musings when Pein halted before a giant ass tree that towered above all of the surrounding aspen trees. This tree looked a bit bizarre under close scrutiny, and appeared to be made out of…paper? I watched in slight enthrallment as the paper began to pull apart, one by one, until there was an entrance large enough for Pein and me to enter. I reluctantly trailed behind the Akatsuki leader as he stepped into the "tree", the rest of the Paths following suite. When all of us were completely inside, the paper seemed to seal itself back in place.

The first thing that I'd noticed was the incredibly powerful, yet warm chakra that hit me like a tsunami. It was the same chakra as Pein's, except now I could finally sense it emanating from its original owner. If I hadn't known it was Nagato's, then I'd have most likely pissed myself by now. Disregarding the chakra that had grown from cold and emotionless to warm and familiar, my attention drifted to my surroundings. Light flowed through the pages of paper in small beams, dancing around on the ground in soft little spots. All I could make through the darkness was what the beams of light were illuminating — more paper. I glanced anxiously at Pein, but all of his features were opaque in the darkness, except for the gleam of his Rinnegan.

Then I sensed something else…a different chakra from Nagato's. I almost kicked myself for not noticing the somewhat weaker chakra in comparison to the Akatsuki leader's.

"Who else is in here?" I inquired warily, poking Pein's arm.

As if on cue, a woman emerged from the shadows and stood before us, effectively causing me to jump about fifty feet. Her hair, in which a paper flower was pinned into, appeared to be a deep indigo color with a portion of the locks tied up in a bun. Her eyes were also a rich, honey brown. She regarded my presence with a small nod, before turning to Pein.

"Are you sure you want to do this? She seems a bit of a…spaz." The older kunoichi questioned, and I could see the silent conversation conveyed through their eyes, though I wasn't entirely sure what it was about.

I raised an eyebrow, looking between the two of them as this whole staring into each other's eyes thing was beginning to slightly disturb me.

"…Who's this bitch?" I inquired dryly, my gaze trailing from the bluenette to the Akatsuki leader. Pein shot me an ominous glare, albeit not as powerful as his usual, but still made me contemplate shuffling a few centimeters to my left. Before he could answer, Konan spoke up.

"My name is Konan. Pein is my partner." She responded, her honey eyes cold, but conveying no emotion as she appeared to survey my appearance.

_Did her eye just twitch?_

"The name's Haruka~" I replied in a sing song voice, grinning hugely as I stuck out my hand to which Konan shook reluctantly. I shot her a glare when she exchanged a glance with Pein, one eyebrow raised, albeit the small spark of amusement apparent in the honey depths of her eyes. "Fuck, stop silently communicating. Seriously, how the hell can you even do that?" I hissed, crossing my arms indignantly. The older kunoichi looked quite perplexed at my sudden change in demeanor, but remained silent as Pein gave her a small nod in some sort of reply before taking my hand and tugging me forward. Konan narrowed her eyes slightly at this, and as we passed her, I poked my tongue out at her. I almost laughed at her blank expression.

It was only a matter of seconds before we reached the back of the "tree". There was just enough light glowing through the pieces of paper to see through the piercing darkness. Pein came to an abrupt halt before some sort of…machine? What the hell? The brownish metal gleamed despite the lack of light, and the amount of chakra emanating from it was almost suffocating. The machine appeared to have four legs, standing upright and a bit eerie in appearance. I glanced to my right to find Pein watching me closely. My gaze returned to the harsh gleam of the machine and I gaped at the sudden realization.

"Shit Nagato, _YOU'RE A FUCKING MACHINE!_" I screeched in mounting disturbance, pointing weakly at the machine with the hand that wasn't entwined with Pein's.

I watched as Pein practically face palmed before shooting me a look that clearly stated "_you're a fucking idiot_". I averted my attention from him, my gaze returning to the machine and trailing up the gleaming front to—

"…Oh."

I certainly wasn't prepared, or expecting, to witness what I had. Nagato appeared to be attached to the machine, as his arms were jammed into two little beams that stuck out partially to his left and right as well as the lower half of his body obscured from view by being partly submerged into the machine. The seemingly most grotesque feature at first sight was the metal rods shooting up out of his back, and appeared to be the same metal as Pein's piercings. Guess that explains why he can summon those chakra rods from his body at will. Nagato's hair looked to be close to the same color as mine, some kind of deep burgundy and chin length. I could see practically every bone protruding through his skin. His ribcage looked as if it would pop right out of his skin at any given moment. I tried not to dwell over that possibility for too long, instead allowing my gaze to lock with his. If anyone would have based the phrase "skin and bones" off of anything, it would be him.

The first thought that flashed through my head was '_what the hell kind of jutsu could do this to a person?' _I cringed slightly at the prospect, instead choosing to allow my gaze to remain locked with his, though both of our eyes portrayed absolutely no emotion. Not even a hint of what was going on in our heads.

I should be angry; in fact, I was quite irritated that he hadn't informed me of this much, much earlier. But, now that I'm witnessing the physical condition he's in, I'm not even slightly surprised as to why he kept it from me. Plus, how can you trust a brand new member of the Akatsuki? Especially when they'd seemingly dropped out of the sky, as in, was dropped off of Tobi's shoulder. Harshly. I digress, how can I even _expect_ him to trust me? Though he's unaware of my (slight) loyalty to Konoha, just the fact that I'd expected him to trust me is preposterous. It makes me feel like a straight up, dirty asshole to hold such high expectations of him when I'm the one (partially) in the wrong here.

Wait, _I'm_ in the wrong?

Fuck, he's a _criminal_. The now miniscule, logical part of my mind was clashing against the emotional turmoil that is the driving force behind more than half of my actions. He should be behind bars, not running around Scott free because everyone trembles under that intimidating gaze of his. What had been what I fully intended to do at the start of my mission has slowly twisted into my worst nightmare. What if he _does_ get captured, interrogated, or, even worse, _killed_…

This is just fucking ridiculous. Of course I'd allowed my emotions to cloud my better judgment, _again_. How could I support Nagato's views if that meant extracting the nine tails from my best friend? There has to be some way around it, some way to stay with him without all that shit going down…

I was suddenly snapped back into reality as I finally realized that my fists were clenched so tightly that for a second I thought my knuckles would shatter and my gaze had trailed to the floor in contemplation.

Normally I'm not one to be astonished at much, but _this_? Seriously, what the holy fucking shitty hell? What the fuck does one do in a situation such as this?

What _do _I want to do?

Well, shit.

* * *

_**Konan**_

It was pretty blatant that Haruka was going through some sort of silent, inner turmoil. Albeit the girl is impressively easygoing, especially around a man such as Nagato, I'm not even slightly taken aback by her reaction. It's what anyone would do when seeing a sight such as this.

However, what left me more than a bit befuddled was when the girl suddenly tugged her hand free of Pein's and bolted out of my origami tree. I stared at the entrance to the little "hideout" before my bemused gaze slid to Nagato, who blinked a few times and uttered a very rancorous '_fuck' _before Pein took a step towards the entrance.

I suppose now isn't the time to question him of how we're supposed to deal with Madara, who is most likely already aware of what's going on and the culprit of why exactly this mission is taking a longer time span than usual to complete.

"Nagato, leave it for now," I intercepted hesitantly. "It's obvious that she needs time to think about this alone."

Instead of concealing his emotions as he usually does, I was astonished (for the umpteenth time today) when I witnessed about a thousand conflicting emotions flicker through his eyes. The last time he'd shown any emotions was Yahiko's death, and ever since that tragedy, he'd concealed his emotions under an _almost_ impenetrable mask. I stress the almost because somehow that dimwit of a girl shattered the intricate mask and broke through all of the walls that he'd hidden himself in for years. How she'd achieved such a feat I'll never know, but that matters is that she _had_.

And perhaps he'll finally allow a little light into the darkness of his heart.

* * *

_**Haruka**_

I continued to run. Where? I have no idea.

I vaguely wondered how Nagato felt at the moment. Perhaps I shouldn't have made such a dramatic exit, but hell, I need time to contemplate what I'd just witnessed. I also need to set my moral compass in check 'cause fuck, I'll admit it's gotten a bit out of control.

I thought back to the time when I'd witness those ANBU slain by Pein. I'd managed to kill one by slamming my kunai into his chest, while the other cornered, as if I were a rat. Wait, doesn't that make me a criminal? Didn't we leave one of them…

My eyes widened tremendously as the harsh realization finally dawned on me and I'd found that my feet had carried me to the old geezer's house. I threw the door open and was completely unnoticed despite the dumbfounded aura emanating off of me in waves, as Deidara was seated across from the woman in the center of the room, gloating about some major accomplishment that he'd achieved.

"_HA! _I _WIN, _YOU FUCKING OLD COOT!" he'd exclaimed, seeming to be reveling in his triumphant victory.

"Hmph, take another look at the board, hotshot." Chie shot back, smirking in amusement as Deidara's face immediately, and quite comically, fell.

"_Dammit! _Fuck you, chocolate monster; I damn you to hell, un!" He hissed rancorously, taking hold of the…_Candyland_…board and hurling it at the old woman, who skillfully ducked before it could slam into her face.

Of course, it hadn't dawned on me that I should duck as well, for I was standing right behind the old hag.

"Ow! _YOU FUCKING FUCK_!" I screeched, peeling the board off of my face and chucking it at the artist with all my chakra induced strength.

"What the…_FUCK!_"

I smirked in satisfaction as I heard the resounding smack of board on skin, followed by the longest string of blasphemy I'd ever heard in my entire life. I was sure he'd used every expletive known to man.

"Dammit! If it wasn't for fucking Pein-sama I'd have already blasted that fugly head of yours to the moon, un!" He growled, his glare menacing. I held back the mad fit of laughter that almost erupted from me, for his face had the imprint of the Candyland board. Holy shit, there's the chocolate monster!

"Bring it, bastard!" I beamed. It's been ages since I've had a…"friendly" sparring match, though I was under the impression that this would be anything _but_ a friendly scuffle between two jolly good pals.

"With pleasure, bitch." He responded with a threatening tone, albeit the smirk on his face was anything but opaque. I assumed he'd been out of action just as long as I have, especially since he'd resorted to Candyland, though that game is fun as hell.

"If you two even think about fight in here I'll blow _both_ of your asses off," the old hag threatened her voice even. "Now, Haruka dear, what did you need?"

"Fuck you, you old bag, un," Deidara declared, being the uncouth bastard he is. All of the anticipation for a fight with the artist melted away as my thoughts once again trailed to Nagato after Chie's words. I glanced at Deidara, who seemed rather disappointed while glaring at the old woman. He suddenly raised an eyebrow as his gaze met mine. "And where's Leader?"

"He had to take care of something," I lied smoothly. By now Chie had twisted around in her seat across from Deidara, fixing me a pointed stare, thoroughly unconvinced. Deidara simply shrugged at this, extracting a lump of clay from one of the pouches at his hip and beginning to mold it into one of those birds of his, no doubt.

"There something you need?" Chie questioned, one eyebrow raised.

_How the fuck did she—_

"…Yes." I replied, somewhat suspicious of how she always seemed to know something was up, ever since the old hag had mentioned something about darkness within me…

"_I'm no fortune teller, by far from it, but I can see the darkness that engulfs people. You are full of it, and I can see a tad of that darkness in you as well…_"

She'd directed the last bit at me…Perhaps she was onto something, but I'd always assumed it was the ambitions that I'd kept hidden.

I met the old woman's gaze calmly, albeit the internal war that had been raging even since that first spark of attraction between Nagato and I had seemingly increased to a level that I was almost certain would very soon shatter the mask I've been wearing since the beginning of this damned journey.

"I need…your advice."

* * *

Lame ending, I know. But it would've taken _forever _to update if I would've went on ahead and typed all the shit that's about to go down in this chapter.

I'm finally gonna get them outta that damn town (which has really been killing me. Staying in that town for eight chapters? LOLOL WHERE HAS MY BRAIN BEEN ALL THIS TIME?) so yeeeuupp.

And next chapter, I'll finally switch to Nagato's point of view. I've been neglecting that lately D:

Ahg, some of my regular reviewers have disappeared. WHERE HAVE YOU GONE PEOPLE. But thanks to those who've stuck with me all this time. Seriously, I appreciate guys and it means the world to me. I LOVE YOUR REVIEWS. THEY KEEP ME GOING. When a writer says that reviews really motivate them, it's damn true. I love feedback :3 So if you want a chapter that won't take 3-4 weeks to complete, then R.E.V.I.E.W. I've been lacking motivation for a while now—that's why it takes so long D:

Annyywaayyss, see you guys next chapter…whenever that'll be. Depends on you guys.

Jaa mata!

*(see you later in Japanese)*

Thanks guys I SWEAR I LOVE YOU:

_**Whadeby, skipbeataddict, PervertAnimeOtaku, Akanohana, CreepySheepy, Loki7744, JaggerMania, TheNinjaOfEpic, Kristine, Dorkfish Hipsterframe, Lacry91, Vegan Vampy, 0Kuro Tenshi0, Princess thieves of heart,**__**DuckAnimePerson, Frozen Paint, Origanum Vulgare, Sekaiichihatsukoilov3r, any anonymous reader who reviews :), KoriryuVEX, and Cetacea-of-Time!**_


	20. All That's Broken

**Disclaimer: **Yada Yada Yada

**Word Count: **3,543

So for this whole Tobi thing…well…I'm not caught up with the manga. Honestly I don't even read it; rather, I wait for the anime episodes. Which is really stupid on my part since Madara/Tobi/Obito whatever-person-thing is in this story.

*_**SPOILER**_*

Yes, I'm well aware that Tobi is Obito. My best friend is walking spoiler (YOU KNOW I STILL LOVE YOOUU). And c'mon people, like we didn't know all along? It was pretty obvious, due to the fact that Kakashi and Obito have a sharingan that has the same ability. I absolutely hate that Tobi is Obito (and since I'm a fan girl of almost all villains cause damn, villains are epic, Obito was seriously the only "good" guy that's ever made it to my top three since the Akatsuki was introduced. Sad, am I right?); I seriously prefer stupid, funny Tobi over serious and deadly Tobi. Who wouldn't?

So for now, I'm just gonna keep doing what I'm doing. Hell yeah, I'm a rebel~ Lolno.

Anyways, hope you enjoy the chapter. This took a shit ton of time to type up. This writer's block is worse than ever guys. I'm really sorry for the wait.

* * *

Chapter Twenty: All That's Broken

**Haruka**

The hag seated across from me shot me a skeptical look as she raised a decrepit eyebrow. She looked as if she couldn't believe that I'd just asked her what I had.

"So, let me get this straight. You want me to explain to you how I would handle a situation in which I fell in love—" she cut off with a huff as I hissed that I didn't fucking say _love_. "—in which I denied that I was in love with a man who manipulates six bodies that do not pertain to his own?"

"Hell yes."

"Are you fucking crazy?"

"Shut up you old hag! Besides, if I were crazy, I would totally welcome two strangers into my town, one looking as if they would fuck your world up in a matter of seconds and the other a terribly sexy traveler—"

"Mm…is Nagato supposed to be the sexy one?"

"Shut the fuck up!"

I had led Chie to the spot under the aspen tree in the center of town. I would have preferred to stay inside due to the freezing temperature and the falling snow that had almost completely subsided but still, to my annoyance, the small flakes continued to soak through my cloak. The town square seemed relatively empty aside from the occasional shopper, who paid us no heed as they scurried back to their homes.

"I see," Chie answered aloofly, disregarding my rancorous tone. "I suppose, since this is a _hypothetical_ situation, I'd stop denying how I truly feel and just follow wherever I feel is the right way to go."

"Did I say I was going anywhere?"

Chie's eye twitched as she shot me that '_you're a fucking moron' _look that I receive from Nagato on a regular basis. I blinked.

"Just think Haruka," Chie sighed, her beady black eyes penetrating. "Logic tells you to follow whatever has been conflicting you over your journey, but I can see that your heart is telling you something entirely different. It's not my job to tell you what to do. I just want you to see that you already know what you want; you just refuse to acknowledge it. I truly hope that there is an existent brain in that thick skull of yours."

I remained silent as I allowed my mind to digest what she'd just told me. Every piece of "advice" that I receive seemed terribly repetitive now. I didn't even hear what the old woman told me as she put a comforting hand on my shoulder and left.

My eyes trailed to the sky, much like how my brother's used to do. It was always strangely comforting to know that the sky would never change; it would always be the same sky. No matter what color, whether it be gray or blue, it'll always be there, forever a blanket over our world. These thoughts were odd, yet comforting as a small breeze ruffled my hair.

I finally allowed my mind an impasse for just one moment.

And then I finally acknowledged what I've wanted since my lips had first met his under that sakura tree.

"Hey whore! What'd you say to that old geezer to make her smirk like that, un?"

My transient moment of glory and utter wisdom practically exploded as I spotted Deidara waltzing towards me, his arms folded behind his head. My features slowly formed a scowl as he smirked down at me.

"If you don't stop calling me a whore I'll fucking tear that silky hair right off your head, Goldie Locks!" I countered, glaring daggers at the artist. "Besides, since when do you have such a soft spot for the old hag? She give you new hair products?" I smirked as Deidara's smug smile was replaced almost immediately by an irate scowl as he all but lunged at me, holding me up against the trunk of the tree by the collar of my cloak.

"I'd watch what you say, bitch. Leader-sama's not here to save you this time, un," Deidara spat, pure malice tainting his normally energetic aura. I grunted as he applied more pressure to my throat. My glare never faltered.

"I-I'm not…afraid of y-you, asshole." I managed to gasp out as I grasped his wrists tightly. Probably not the best idea I've ever thought up. His blue eyes flashed momentarily, but then he visibly perked up as his gaze snapped up to the branches of the tree he'd slammed me against. His frown vanished as the corners of his lips turned up into a maniacal smirk.

"Son of a—"

"Looks like you're in luck, bitch. You'll get to see my art in action as I blow that nine tails jinchuuriki's ass sky high!"

* * *

**Naruto**

"Her chakra signature is growing stronger," Captain Yamato stated halfheartedly, though I could see the glimmer of excitement in his eyes at the prospect of seeing his student again. "The Akatsuki member that was accompanying her before…I can't sense his chakra signature, but there is another that I don't quite recognize."

Of course Yamato hadn't a clue that that chakra signature belongs to another Akatsuki member of whom he hadn't been acquainted with just yet. What was his name again? Dei…_something_. I felt my blood boil at the thought of the man that had used Gaara as his personal recliner, which only seemed to drive me to sprint even faster.

"I recognize that chakra signature. He's another Akatsuki," I stated, scowling as the passing trees whirred around me in a kaleidoscope of deep green and rich brown. "It was when we'd saved Gaara. Sakura killed his partner with the help of granny Chiyo." From the corner of my eye, I saw Yamato offer a small nod, his gaze trained on the trees ahead.

"I'd heard about that encounter," Sai suddenly piped up, his gaze shifting to me. "I'd imagine that he won't be very pleased to see you after what was done to his partner."

"Heh, he can fuck it. After what Kakashi-sensei and Gaara did to em, he won't be able to lay a finger on me~" I chirped smugly before adding, "…Literally." I almost smirked at the picture that popped into my mind of the man that was rendered arm-less by Gaara's sand and Kakashi-sensei's sharingan.

"Don't underestimate the enemy, Naruto," Yamato reprimanded, rifling through the pages of a Bingo Book that he'd pulled out of his dark green leaf shinobi vest. "The Bingo Book states that the other Akatsuki is a man by the name of Deidara. He has the ability to infuse his chakra into detonating clay and he's a long ranged fighter. Though...that's odd…it says here that he's supposedly deceased."

"Oh yeah! That bastard blew himself up in attempt to kill our squad!" I exclaimed as realization practically slapped me in the face. "But how the hell could he have possibly survived that?"

"Can you not tell the difference between a clone and the real person?" Utakata suddenly cut in. "It sounds as if he'd made a clone of himself entirely out of that clay and detonated the clone, using the confusion of the explosion as a distraction for his escape."

Before I could respond to Utakata's statement, Sai spoke up from the other side of Yamato.

"Look, there's a village up ahead," the pale shinobi pointed out. I followed his gaze to see a split in the trees ahead, revealing a few of the houses within the relatively small village. The snow that had been falling just moments ago had ceased, the final flakes reaching the ground and melting completely atop the dead grass poking out of the snow. "She's definitely in this village."

Captain Yamato nodded curtly before giving us the signal to halt between the trees below us. I sighed heavily in mounting irritation. _All I wanna do is get in there, retrieve Haruka, kick ass, and leave. Is that too much to ask? _I thought with a small scowl, though I leaned forward slightly to listen to what Captain Yamato had to say.

"Sai, I need you to send in some of your ink mice to see what they're up to," Captain Yamato paused as Sai nodded and immediately began to paint the mice onto his scroll. "We should lay low until we know if it's clear to enter the village. I sent a messenger hawk to Lady Tsunade two days ago informing her of our situation, and by now she's more than likely dispatched a squad to back us up. I'm assuming that they'll arrive to assist us in a few hours' time. Utakata, are you sure you want to involve yourself in this situation? We can't guarantee that any of us will make it out alive, as this is the infamous Akatsuki that we'll be up against. You put two Akatsuki together and that just spells trouble."

I glanced at Utakata as he didn't hesitate to answer. "I'll partake in this battle, the reason being that this organization has the potential to harm Hotaru in the future." Utakata responded blankly as he kept any of his emotion carefully concealed.

"Alrighty then! Let's get on with it!" I exclaimed, but froze as Sai released his hand seal with widened eyes.

"One mouse was detected and destroyed by the blonde Akatsuki member Deidara," Sai reported, shooting me a quick glance before his gaze rested permanently on Captain Yamato. "Haruka is located in the center of town accompanied by Deidara. The other Akatsuki is nowhere to be found," Sai paused before adding, "They know we've arrived."

"Well this complicates things significantly," Captain Yamato sighed, eyes searching the tree line ahead of us. "It looks as if stealth is out of the question. Improvisation is our best option here, as well as avoiding direct contact."

"I say we just go in there and kick as—"

"Get off of me, you blonde freak!"

My suggestion was cut off as well as Captain Yamato's "plan" completely contradicted when a high pitched voice erupted from the sky, sounding as if it belonged to a child of about six or seven years old, as well as a bird shaped shadow falling over our little party and successfully wiping out all traces of the faint sun. My gaze snapped up to the sky as I witnessed Deidara perched atop his clay bird, smirking down at us while pressing a kunai to a child's throat. My eyes scanned the bird, and sure enough, standing to Deidara's right was…Haruka.

For a moment, all I could do was stare at my childhood best friend, clad in the infamous Akatsuki cloak which ruffled and swayed in the wind. Nothing about her had altered appearance wise. All I could see was the same Haruka I'd always known. Her gaze met mine, and though her expression portrayed no emotion, I could see the conflict brewing in her dark blue eyes. I tilted my head slightly in inquiry, but she tore her gaze from mine and looked away.

"Hey you! Blonde bastard! Get down here so I can beat your ass!" I shouted at the Akatsuki member circling above our heads.

"'Ey, bitch, putting you and that blonde brat together, I've finally found the two leading ingredients that make up the definition of "dumbass"." Deidara taunted, smirking wickedly before crying out in pain as the redhead slammed her fist into the back of his head.

After recovering from the blow from Haruka, the artist decided to start blabbing again.

"_Finally_!" Deidara exclaimed and my gaze ruefully trailed from Haruka to the blonde, only for me to notice that he was addressing me and practically disregarding everyone else. "This'll be the grand finale for you, jinchuuriki brat! I'll make sure the last thing you see is the blinding light of my beautiful art!"

My eyes widened as I managed to leap to the side just in time to avoid the explosion that had churned up the earth where I had been standing just seconds before. I landed lightly onto the branch of a tree not far from where Deidara's bird was floating.

_I gotta save that kid!_

"What the hell are you doing just standing there, un? Go play, bitch." I heard the artist growl at Haruka, who scowled at him before preparing to leap off of the bird. That is, until he _pushed_ her. I watched as she plummeted towards the ground, a look of befuddlement on her face before she grasped the flimsy limb of a nearby tree, sliding slowly down the slightly bent branch before free falling unceremoniously to the ground, landing flat on her ass.

"Fuck you Deidara! When this battle is over, you're gonna wish you didn't have those mouths on your palms, cause I'm gonna rip the tongues out of them and shove them up your nose, fat ass!" Haruka huffed before whipping around to face our astonished group. Instantly, her scowl fell, only to be replaced by a blank stare. But she couldn't fool me; I could see right past the calm façade. Despair clouded those once bright blue eyes, and I regarded how she had tightly clenched her fists at her sides.

"Haruka…" I began, but before I could continue, I froze as I felt cold metal press against my throat.

"My intentions aren't to talk to you, Naruto," My eyes widened as I felt the kunai press deeper into my throat and a familiar, emotionless voice answer the inquiry that I hadn't managed to utter. "Don't let your guard down; I'm your enemy and this is the path I've chosen. So suck it."

* * *

**Haruka**

I fought to keep the tears at bay, seeing as how I'm standing here, with all of my conviction and emotion scattered at my feet, pressing a kunai to my best friend's throat. It's as if this whole situation is surreal. This was what I feared since the beginning of my journey, right? I knew my convictions would alter from the very beginning, yet why didn't I attempt to prevent it from happening? Is this change of heart the result of years of alienation by the people who were supposed to support me?

No.

It's the fact that I've met a person who lost everything, someone so powerful, yet so broken all at the same time. Someone who had everything ripped away from them, yet still holds their head up high as the leader of the most feared organization in all of the nations.

...Someone who pulled through something I couldn't — loss.

Sure, he's broken. Sure, he's fucked up a few times and is a bit of a pessimist when the topic of the human race is brought up, but he's only...human. Though the facade that he shrouds himself in that many people are deluded by is quite intricate and opaque, I can see right through it. He knows he's not a god, and that he's as human as the next guy. Others are much too frightened by his cold exterior to see the warm, affectionate, and completely human interior.

I contemplated all of this as I forced myself to press the kunai harder into Naruto's throat. He made no move to stop me, yet stood there as if wordlessly inquiring, "_which is it? Us…or them?_"

My thoughts slowly drifted to all the good times that Naruto and I had shared. I pictured the blonde's wide grin before he'd accept a steaming bowl of ramen from Ichiraku's chef, the whiskers adorning his tanned cheeks that I'd always deemed fucking adorable, forcing a light blush to form on his cheeks every time I'd voice these thoughts. I pictured the many times I'd accompany Naruto to his training sessions with Jiraiya, how the blonde had dubbed Lady Tsunade Grandma Tsunade, how we'd raise hell in Konoha with our many attempts to get people to see that we weren't just ghosts you could overlook, and the many missions we'd completed in each other's company.

Most of all, my thoughts lingered on the first time I'd laid eyes on the boy, completely alone on that swing. The first words I'd spoken to him and the despondent reply I received rang through my head like a broken bell:

_"Hey kid! You're in my spot!" _

_"What do you mean 'your spot'? I've never seen you here!"_

A single tear slid down my cheek, silently falling onto my best friend's forehead, dribbling down the symbol of Konoha adorning his headband and slipping down his face, dripping off of his cheek before it made its exit by soaking into the muddy earth beneath our feet.

"Forever," I murmured into his ear, my breath slightly ruffling his blonde hair as his eyes widened significantly. And then I did it - I pierced the soft flesh of his neck and watched as he slid out of my arms, crashing to the ground in a heap of blonde hair and orange jumpsuit. I continued to stare at my best friend's body as his life force began streaming out of the deep gash I had engraved in his neck, soaking into the ground as my tear had, staining the grass a sickening crimson.

I slowly pivoted my head back slightly to witness Yamato's eyes bug out as his gaze trailed from Naruto's disheveled body to my emotionless face. For a transient moment, I thought I witnessed a tear form in his left eye. But that couldn't be right.

ANBU never cry.

Suddenly a gruesomely familiar voice boomed from above, and I glanced up to be greeted by Deidara's mocking smirk as he gazed down at the scene beneath him. A sinister laugh escaped his lips as my face twisted into a malevolent scowl. "Turned against your best friend, eh? Tssk tssk, Haruka. Who would've ever thought you, of all people, would betray their village, un?" The artist laughed from above. Wait, he wasn't implying that they..."That's right, bitch! We've been well aware of your dishonest, conniving schemes from day four! But apparently our perception of you has been all wrong. Good, loyal Haruka is really a backstabbing, two faced little shit! Let me tell you this: Akatsuki doesn't like liars. But due to your actions here, we might spare your pathetic life, un~"

The first thought that flashed through my head was "Day four? The hell?"

Then I thought of Nagato. Why hadn't he intervened with my "plans"? Why hadn't he mentioned my so called "betrayal"? And more importantly, why hasn't he slaughtered me like he would've done to any average lackey with affiliation to the organization?

Then the answer hit me like a ten ton boulder...and it was lying in a heap, dead on the ground at my feet.

Deidara had apparently witnessed the obvious change in my once strong willed demeanor, for he snorted and glared daggers at me while forming a clay creation in his hands. "That's right, Haruka-_chan_," Deidara hissed, his voice dripping venom as he spat the honorific. "While you believed you were deceiving _us_, we'd been manipulating _you_ the _entire time_. Originally, we believed that you had cut off all ties with Konoha, but then the Leader witnessed your hesitation when marking out the symbol on your headband, un. That was your only flaw, and it damn well ruined you."

"Your plan...it was to..."

"That's right, bitch~ Lure the jinchuuriki brat in using his dear little Haruka-chan. Worked like a charm, didn't it? It was like killing two birds with one stone – we've molded you into a criminal as well as manipulated you into murdering the jinchuuriki brat (though we did need him alive… fuck, Leader's gonna kill me), un," Deidara exclaimed happily, clearly enjoying the suffering this realization had caused me. "Tch, don't look at me like that; I'm your only ally here. Are you really that dense as to believe that Konoha will welcome an S-rank criminal as well as Akatsuki member like you back in, un? Don't make me laugh."

As I listened to his words, I clenched my fists until my knuckles turned white as it dawned on me: every word that escaped his lips had been the complete truth, even though he'd had a creative, bitchy way of saying it.

How could I have possibly believed that everything would fall into place eventually? I'd killed an ANBU Black Op, and I'd carry that burden until the end. That was what led to the downward spiral of this so called thing dubbed "morality".

Or perhaps it was the alienation I'd received from the people who were supposed to support me – the villagers. I thought I'd banished those negative emotions from my heart for good, but apparently there's a part of me that still continues to resent the people who ignored me all of those years.

But I love my village, and that's one thing that will never change no matter what organization I'm bound to.

My glare was piercing as I turned slightly to address the blonde with bitter resentment tainting my tone. "The past can't be erased, but I'll still do all I can to support this organization. I don't need you – who hold the same title as I, a damn lackey, telling me my fate. Just shut the hell up and help me kill these bitches."

* * *

OH WELL ISN'T THAT A PLOT TWIST? Haruka's the bad guy~ (maybe..)

And don't overlook the time when she said "forever", that actually means something~

Yay, I updated. Sorry if it was a bit sad, but it'll get happier in the oncoming chapters.

Just a few more chapters to go and we'll be done guys~ I think I'm finally over this writer's block…hopefully.

I'm the biggest idiot on the planet, eh heh. I kinda started on the sequel already and I'm not even done with the first. *sweatdrop*

…Hopefully you guys won't kill me for updating so late~ ^^" Again, I'm so sorry for the wait D: and for any mistakes that are bound to be in here, oi.

…Review? *hides shamelessly in a corner*


	21. Forever

Disclaimer: Again, Naruto isn't mine.

Word Count: 2,819

Oh hey guys. I'm just gonna act like it hasn't been almost three months...OH MY GOSH I'M SO SORRY. I didn't mean to update this late, but my motivation has just disappeared. But I got it back for this chapter, it only took two nights to write! Woohoo, I'm getting back into the swing of things. I'm on Spring Break now so I'll probably be writing more, but no promises. This chapter was actually fun to write~

Anways, hope this chapter is worth the wait ! Pein shows up again :D DUDES. PEIN'S ARC IS DUBBED NOW. I died. I swear. Thank the English Dub people for this chapter. Because Pein's English voice is fucking epic and his arc is my favorite Naruto arc of all time.

I really wanna thank my faithful reviewers who've stuck with me through this mess of a story. It really, really, really, REALLY REALLY REEAALLLYY means the world to me. And thanks to my new reviewers. I love you guys ~

* * *

_Chapter Twenty One: Forever_

**Haruka**

Nagato's entrance was quite dramatic, to say the least. It was about the time that Yamato was just about to quite literally jam a block of that damn wood in my mouth.

My thoughts were in a jumble as I watched him (partially from my head smashing into the trunk of a tree) or should I say, them, land with a thud before me, cloaks rustling and black ash that had sprung from the ground dusting the blood red cloud emblem etched onto their veils.

Pein, the main Pein that I'd grown accustomed to, turned to face me with that blank expression, concern brewing in those ringed eyes. I could almost hear the inquiry of "Are you alright?", although he hadn't said a word. I felt myself nod solemnly. He took it as his cue to once again face Yamato.

"So this, these, are the leader of the Akatsuki," I heard Yamato-sensei say from across the clearing. The only detail that indicated his slight fear of his chance of survival were his wide, black eyes. That's right, Konoha was unaware that Pein was in fact five people, uh, zombie tension was almost palpable as my sensei realized that he was in a pretty shitty position. My heart twisted and it felt as if a stone was dropped into the pit of my stomach as it dawned on me that my sensei might die here. And I couldn't do a damn thing to stop it from happening unless I was willing to reveal who I truly am: a lying, deceiving, sexy ass bastard. I was wrenched from my musings as I heard Yamato's voice boom across the clearing, somewhat louder this time. "Why is it so important that a bijuu bomb is created from collecting all nine of the jinchuuriki? A weapon of that magnitude would only result in utter destruction."

For some miraculous reason that I couldn't fathom, Pein actually replied.

Why doesn't he ever reply to me like that? I thought, letting out a huff and glaring at Pein's back.

"I might as well tell you; you'll die anyway." My heart stopped at those words, his voice devoid of any emotion. Cold. I swallowed what was about to be a cry of resentment towards his statement and waited for what I knew he would say next. "Akatsuki will only have access to the bijuu bomb. Any nation that attempts to spark a war will be eliminated. Peace will follow soon after, for people will realize that peace is their only option."

"But the peace that you're referring to is forced and completely false. People will eventually realize this and rebel against Akatsuki rule." Yamato-sensei replied calmly, staring directly into the eyes of the Akatsuki leader.

"Then they will be forced to obey." Pein countered dryly.

"True peace cannot be attained without the consent and agreement of the people," Yamato argued, "They'll eventually rebel and you will be overthrown. Peace is not a concept that can be forced."

This was when I felt that my input was needed in the situation. After all, stalling the execution of my sensei, I decided, until the backup squad arrived was my main objective at this point.

"Hey guys, I'm still here ya know," I stated, my voice sounding like a fucking waffle cone had been shoved down my throat. I cleared it and tried again. "Uh, I believe that peace is...peace is...uh...good. Yes, peace is good. And you know what else? I believe peace can only be attained through snails. Yes, ya know Pein, Nagato Jr.? I still have him, though he hasn't shown up in a while. He's in my pocket. I've been feeding him lettuce...at least I think he's been eating it. I mean I wake up and it's gone, so unless Deidara decided to shove it up his ass Nagato Jr. was bound to be the one to eat it. Isn't that great? And for a while we were so lost on what to feed him! Eh heh! And remember that time you tried to shove him in the bathroom pipe cause you can be such a crotchety bastard? Good times man, good times. Oh! And how your favorite flavor of ice cream is one someone would never guess! I can't believe you like-"

"Haruka." Pein's voice was cold, and held a significant amount of authority to it as if we'd gotten into a time machine and went back to when we first started our journey. Thinking of only the well being of my sensei, I decided to continue my ramblings until he'd surely lodge one of those metal chakra receivers into my chest.

"Gee, it's cold out here. Dude, I think my arm's broken," I took the eight necessary steps to reach Pein, attempting to lift my right arm but failing miserably when a spike of pain shot through it. I grunted softly, poking my right arm with my left hand until Pein grabbed my left arm and glared menacingly at me before his gaze drifted to my arm. "I still don't understand why the Akatsuki paint their nails. Why is it that only you get red nails? Why doesn't Deidara have red nails? Or Hidan? Or Kakuzu? Or Konan? Or Itachi? Or Kisame? Or Zetsu?Or, or...I know I'm forgetting someone, I'm sure I am...Oh, that's it! Tobi! Wait, why does he wear gloves? Does he have dry hands or something? Or were they severely burned when he was a child and now he's afraid to show them in public? I wonder..."

I chanced a glance at Yamato, surprised to find that he was smiling. The first smile I'd seen him wear since...I departed for my mission. And for a short moment, I believed everything would be okay. That maybe someday, this whole mess would fall into place and I'd be reunited with the people that I held so dear to me, as well as convince Nagato that what he is doing is wrong. Perhaps...maybe he could even...

I felt Pein's hand tense on my arm, and I'd only blinked for a millisecond before a whole platoon of Leaf shinobi appeared before me when I'd finally opened my eyes.

Another round of pain erupted through my arm like a lightning strike, and my mind subconsciously recalled the battle with Yamato-sensei that had occurred prior to Nagato's sudden appearance...

* * *

My eyes widened as Yamato-sensei lunged at me right after I'd declared that Deidara and I would slay those bitches and, more importantly, Naruto had crashed to the ground in a heap of blood.

Wood erupted from the ground on every side of me, wood snaking its way around the surrounded trees, wood inching its way closer and closer to me at an alarming rate. Wood, wood, wood.

Of course, I'd grasped the opportunity of the initial shock of Naruto's death to swap places with a shadow clone just as the blocks of wood, twisting and turning like a toy snake that had been wound up and released from its slumber, pounded into the clone. The blocks of wood created a sickening splintering noise as they collided into each other after they'd flown right through my clone, which had erupted into a large puff of smoke.

I took the chance to leap from my perch on the tree branch over Yamato-sensei's head right after I'd shot a liquid bullet that he'd dodged adeptly. Our kunais clashed and I barely managed to jump to the side in time to avoid a collision with one of Yamato-sensei's wood blocks, dropping my kunai in the process.

I leapt back when a wall of wood blocks burst from the ground between us and landed on the middle limb. I began to slide down the smooth surface, shooting yet another liquid bullet at Yamato, which, as I'd anticipated, he'd dodged. Which landed him right in my trap; the kunai exploding as soon as his foot touched the ground near the weapon.

Aerial bombs boomed from the small war occurring over our heads as smoke, ash, and the occasional splatter of ink would fall to the ground, staining the earth a disgusting black.

I was about to commit myself to a victory lap when I finally scrutinized the scene, realizing that there was an entirely new puff of smoke swirling in the air. I huffed aloud, though silently I was happy that my sensei hadn't been blown to pieces and that my little trap had failed. That is, until I felt the rough, splintery surface of the wood that had wrapped itself around my right arm without my knowing.

"I'm impressed, Haruka," Yamato-sensei stated, his voice ringing in my ears. "You've improved significantly since our last training session."

Boy, was I tempted to smile, but I fought back the slight pride that rushed through my veins at his statement and stood completely still, my face portraying no emotion as the block of wood began to constrict around my arm.

"I'm well aware that you're only doing this to ensure your own safety," Yamato-sensei continued, all of the pride in his eyes instantly disappearing at his words. His face was grim and his tone was stern, as if I was twelve all over again and he was scolding me for egging innocent villager's houses with Naruto in tow."But I'd never thought I'd see the day when you would kill a comrade for your own sake, let alone Naruto. I've taught you better than that."

His next words rang through my skull like a melancholic song, piercing straight through my heart.

"To you, that symbol on your headband means nothing more than the line etched through it."

"I..." A sudden urge to tell him what had actually happened surfaced. I was innocent...well, partially. I was still to blame for the death of one Hidden Mist ANBU.

What have I been doing?

The wood began squeezing my arm with a tremendous amount of pressure. I barely noticed, as my gaze was locked with Yamato-sensei's, and perhaps I was only imagining it, but his eyes looked...glossy.

All this time I believed I could change the Akatsuki and the fate of Konoha as a whole...

Crack.

It was a childish dream, but even though I was well aware of that, why did I continue to try?

My knees began to shake as old memories began to resurface, and my eyes widened as a certain memory caught my attention. I was astonished that Yamato-sensei hadn't remembered that day. That day...

A small smirk tugged at my lips as the memory came to me in vivid detail, and it seemed almost as if I were swept back in time.

Guess that's just the way I've always been...

* * *

I collapsed onto the soft grass of the hill overlooking Konoha, directly behind the faces of the Hokage that were carved into the side of the tall mountain. Soon after, Naruto did the same, breathing heavily but laughing his ass off because I'd just planted a ticking time bomb for all the single ladies of Konoha onto Yamato-sensei's back: "My penis in your va jay jay. Only $5."

It was directly after an intense training session, where I'd been hit by a weak rasengan and flung directly into the trunk of a nearby apple tree, and one of the lush, dark red apples had plummeted down onto my head with an audible thud.

"Hm, looks like that apple proves you've got nothing in that head of yours after all." Kakashi-sensei, who'd been helping out with our training session, had commented on the thud the apple had made when it had crashed into my head. I scowled at him as Naruto had offered to help pull me out by extending his hand.

I looked up from my recollection of the training session as Yamato-sensei plopped down on the other side of me. The sun was beginning to set in the horizon, the sky painted a beautiful mix of orange, crimson, and pink. I smiled softly as a gust of warm, summer air ruffled my hair. My headband, which was tied loosely around my neck, fell to the ground when I shifted slightly to lay as Naruto was; on his stomach with his head resting in his arms which were crossed in front of him.

This is where we'd always sit after a training session.

"Hey sensei, how long do you think the peace will last?" I asked suddenly. Yamato-sensei glanced at me, but then shifted his gaze back to the village.

"I can't be sure of that, Haruka. The Akatsuki can't be predicted." He replied calmly.

"Well someday, me and Naruto are gonna kick their asses and the Village will be set free of the looming threat! Just you wait, Yamato-sensei!" I exclaimed, my determined gaze drifting to the lazy village extending under the faces of the great Hokage.

"Believe it!" Naruto chimed in as we fist bumped.

Yamato-sensei let out a small chuckle, smiling down at us while ruffling my hair. "I'm sure you will."

"You really think we can do it, Naruto? It sure as hell won't be easy," I stated, my eyes downcast as I thought of all the pain the Akatsuki had brought on the village, the faces of Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino among the first that came to mind. My face was grim until I felt a familiar arm wrap around my shoulders and I glanced over at Naruto to see that same sunny, wide grin that I always see him wear.

"We're a team. I'll believe in you, Haruka," Naruto paused, as if contemplating his next words...

"Forever."

* * *

"Forever." I murmured in a barely audible whisper. That was what I'd been referring to when I'd...ya know. I just needed him to believe in me for a little while longer. I could do it, I know I could.

I glanced across the clearing to Yamato-sensei, and I thought I saw his eyes widen in realization to my statement as well as the black droplets of my jutsu splatter onto the ground around him.

"Hey bastard! I need a bomb down here!" I cried before remembering that my arm was ensnared in Yamato-sensei's wood and quickly adding, "But a small one! Make it a small one! I swear to Kami if you blow me up-"

That was precisely the moment when an explosion rang out through the clearing and I was thrown back by the force of the blast, my arm wrenching from the clutches of Yamato-sensei's jutsu as my body was flung limply into the trunk of a nearby aspen tree, my head crashing into the wood. Damn.

The clearing was now reduced to a pit of small flames that were slowly beginning to die out. Ash caked the ground where white patches of snow had been prior to the explosion. Across the clearing, Yamato was pushing himself up onto his feet from where he'd been flung against a nearby tree as well. I'd decimated a clone...again, but had made a direct hit on his left arm, for it hung limply at his side.

Suddenly a block of wood shot up from the ground yet again (Kami, he's persistent) and was just about to smash into my face when Nagato decided to appear, and the whole block of wood was repelled right back Yamato, who barely managed to dodge before the limb was launched right through the trunk of the tree directly behind him.

* * *

I grunted at the pain in my arm as Pein released my "good arm" and turned to face the Konoha shinobi. Among them were Rock Lee, Kakashi-sensei,Guy-sensei, Shikamaru, and Sakura.

My eyes locked with Sakura's and I almost smiled sheepishly, remembering the time when I spilled coffee on her crotch...

She was glaring daggers at me now.

I was in for a world of trouble. She's probably been waiting for the time where she could tear me to pieces. I was almost anticipating it, but I'd only ever wanted to spar with her, not have serious, all out battle with her. We'd never really gotten along anyway, which was something I'd never understood.

I watched my comrades across from me speak to each other, but I couldn't bring myself to listen.

After all, who would want to welcome a member of the Akatsuki into their village?

* * *

Ah, who doesn't love flashbacks from her past with Naruto? Those are really fun to write.

Hope you liked the chapter :D

Gah, I hate writing fighting scenes...they're such a pain in the ass.

Oh, and over 100 reviews?! I seriously didn't expect that when I first started writing this. Thank you so much guys! I can't remember if I thanked you for that before, but you guys are so awesome you get another thank you and maybe even an early chapter.

Ciao! Love you guys!


End file.
